The Chapel Hill Highlanders continued their winning ways in North Carolina with a 34-28 defeat of a tenacious Union County Lions Saturday.

The game was played for the Maxwell Trophy, named after Paul Maxwell, a pioneer of Carolina Youth Rugby and former Head Coach of Union County. It’s a challenge trophy between the two teams, and Union County has held it the last few years.

Union County ran out to a 14-0 lead early in the game, but the Highlanders replied with a try from wing Dewan Roets and then one from No. 8 Dan Covi.  Fullback Lawrence Bridges converted both tries to tie it up and later slotted a penalty goal to put Chapel Hill up 17-14. The Highlanders continued their scoring ways in the second half, with Covie adding two more and Bridges also going over. Two of those tries were scored while the Lions were down a man due to a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. That period of play cost them as the Highlanders took a 34-14 lead. However, Union County mounted a comeback and scored twice to make it 34-28 with less than ten minutes to go.

The final minutes were all played in the Highlanders’ half, with the Lions mounting a concerted effort for that try that could win the game.

Highlanders center Lavon Hartman made a key play during this period, stealing the ball to save what could have been the game-deciding score. In the final two minutes Lions continued to test the Highlanders defensive in a last-ditch effort, but the Highlanders defense held out and cleared the pressure to finish up a nerve-wracking game.

The win puts the Highlanders at 4-0 in North Carolina league play.