IN a clash between two teams that had tied earlier in the season, the Maryland Exiles HS team defeated North Bay 57-10 to win the Maryland HS club title Saturday at Warner’s Rugby Farm, the home of the Wild Geese Old Boys Rugby Club. 

Four-time defending state champs Maryland were up against the upstarts North Bay, and they seemed essentially equal - not only did they tie, but the league tiebreaker came down to points allowed, and the Exiles took 1st by a single point. 

 
The game featured the North Bay scoring machine vs. the Maryland Exiles steel curtain defense.  North Bay had piled up points all season long blasting away opposing teams.  In the Maryland International Rugby Festival, North Bay had proven to be one of the most exciting teams to watch in the contest.  Meanwhile on the other side of the state, the Exiles struggled all season with their offense but had refused to allow teams to cross their line.
 
North Bay has emerged as a high school rugby powerhouse with multiple teams at multiple age groups and a conveyer belt of talent bringing players into the club from their summer touch rugby program.  Led by Brian and Ellen Hickey, the club had 60 boys playing HS rugby this spring and a healthy foundation with over 100 kids playing tag rugby in the summer.
 
The big question going into the game was how much the Exiles would miss the lightning speed of Yepheth Norris.  The electric wing had been the Exiles main scoring threat all season long, and had been red-carded in the team’s semi-final match the previous weekend. 

The game started out at a high tempo with both teams making very hard tackles. At the 5th minute, Exiles flanker Archie Cullen disrupted a North Bay lineout, which led to a beak by Exiles U17 HS All American trialist and tighthead prop Charlie Siarkas grounding the ball for the game's first try. Exiles flyhalf Jacques La Fonta converted the kick for the 7-0 Exiles lead.
 
The Exiles continued their defensive pressure, which led to maybe the best score of the day.  North Bay's attempt to clear their line and kick to touch was bouncing toward the sideline.  Exiles Hooker Jean-Remi Verella dove after the ball and flipped it backwards towards his team.  Support appeared as Exiles Wing Seamus McDonald gathered the ball at pace and streaked down the sideline for the Exiles second try of the day. La Fonta's conversion attempt was just wide and the Exiles had a 12-0 lead at the 10 minute mark of the game.
 
North Bay came storming back as the physical side from Bel Air, Maryland mixed their forwards and backs with quick rucks.  The ball was sent wide to the left side of the field were North Bay's Wing Harrison Pfeiffer found enough space to turn the corner and tiptoe down the sideline for an unconverted try.  It was now a one score game again: Exiles 12 North Bay 5.
 
The Exiles gathered the ensuing kick and proceeded to move the ball through several phases closer and closer to the North Bay line.  The sustained pressure was rewarded when scrumhalf David Canonse went over for a La Fonta converted try: Exiles 19 North Bay 5.
 
At the restart, North Bay was able to gather the ball and mount another challenge to the Exiles line.  Fortunately for the Exiles, La Fonta was able to clear the Exiles line.  The Exiles then were able to take the opposition at the next lineout, and began to put the ball through progressive phases and march towards the opposition line.  This was when electric flyhalf Jacques La Fonta was hit high and late.  The young man completing his International Baccalaureate degree from the French International School of Washington, DC, had to be removed from the pitch by ambulance and play was stopped for approximately half an hour.
 
La Fonta's replacement, sophomore Nathanial Turak came into the game and calmly slotted the ensuing penalty kick to extend the Exiles lead.  With five minutes remaining in the first half to be played, the Exiles again put the ball through multiple phases, mixing and matching their forwards and back.  With no time left on the clock, No. 8 Aiden Perrenoud finished the movement going over for the final Exiles try of the half.  Turak hit the difficult conversion curling the ball between the posts to extend the Exiles lead at halftime: 29-5
 
Exiles Head Coach Vincent Turbat, who was coaching in his 4th consecutive Maryland State Championship, changed tactics at halftime.  Instead of playing a fast paced game looking to put North Bay under as much pressure as possible, Turbat urged his team now to be more patient and play with the ball in the opposition half.
 
The changes were quickly rewarded, when the North Bay defense committed two infractions and the youngster Nathanial Turak punished both with penalty kicks to extend the Exiles lead to 35-5.  Five minutes later, the Exiles were at again pressing the North Bay Defense.  Charlie Siarkas was able to hit a gap in the North Bay defense driving through the defenders to touch down an unconverted try extending the Exiles lead to 40-5.
 
It was this moment that North Bay unleashed their best play of the game.  Again, mixing their forwards and backs and then quickly moving the ball through the hands, North Bay wing Drew Nori was able to turn the corner and take the ball over for their second try of the game.  Even after he outpaced his opposite number for the sidelines, Nori still had a lot of work to do dodging the Exiles cover defense for an unconverted try.  Score: 40-10.
 
With the momentum shifting back towards North Bay, the Maryland Exiles needed to turn the tide against them.  They found it in one of the youngest players on the field.  Sophomore center Cory Levy took a pass and showed the ball to the outside player.  Instead of releasing the ball as he had for the majority of the game, this time Levy cut back inside and accelerated through the North Bay defense for a try underneath the posts for a Turak converted kick.  Score: 47-10.
 
Minutes later, the Exiles were back at it pressuring North Bay deep in their own half.  With a scrum in the middle of the field, it was time for youngster Nathanial Turak to shine.  The sophomore Flyhalf dropped directly behind the scrum and calmly slotted a drop kick from 25 meters out to extend the Exiles lead to 50-10.
 
With fresh legs on the field, the Exiles were not finished scoring, even as the clock moved into injury time.  Fielding a kick deep in his own territory, fullback Oscar Chatain launched a counter-attack.  Chatain had spent his day making huge tackles, stopping three North Bay try scoring opportunities.  However, this time he was able to display his offensive skills, weaving his way through the North Bay defense.  By the time the ball had reached Center Paul Vincent's hands, the North Bay defense was broken and Vincent was able to touch down underneath the posts.  Turak tacked on the final points with the conversion for the final: 57-10.
 
"I was pleased to see the team play this hard and this well." Exiles Head Coach Vincent Turbat said - this was his last game coaching the team.

Exiles Director of High School Rugby Dan Soso stated that Turbat's retirement would be "a huge challenge for the club to overcome.  People just don't know how important he has been to the growth of rugby overall at the youth and high school level throughout the DC area.  There's no doubt we are going to miss him terribly next year."
 
The Maryland Exiles lose thirteen players to graduation and will have to restructure their coaching staff next year.  For right now however -- The Maryland Exiles can celebrate being Maryland State Champions for the fifth year in a row.