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Rankings-Influencing HS Results Around the Country

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Rankings-Influencing HS Results Around the Country

Nick Bruno scored four tries for Xavier.

Here's a quick look at some of the top-ranked teams around the nation and what they've done this weekend.

You can see scores from around the country here>>

School #4 St. Ignatius vs Club #5 Aspetuck
This was an interesting measurement for both teams, as Ignatius had lost to Royal Irish earlier in the season, and lost convincingly, while Aspetuck had almost beaten Royal Irish, losing on the final play of the game. Ignatius came back to beat Royal Irish in a shortened game last week, but was that as much of an indication of improvement as you might think?

Turns out, yes. With tries from Ryan Putka and Marty Lenehan, and 17 points from flyhalf Bobby Voth (a try, three conversions, and two penalty goals), Ignatius played a smart tactical game despite a very cold, rainy day, and won 27-12.

School #4 St. Thomas Aquinas vs School #28 St. Louis University High
This was a thriller and we have more details here >>. Aquinas won 39-34, but SLUH did a lot to raise their profile and, likely, their ranking.

School #1 Herriman vs School #14 Olympus
In this the Varsity Red state final in Utah, Herriman steamrolled Olympus 56-7 to gain a tighter hold on the #1 spot and win the state title in emphatic fashion.

Club #6 Woodlands vs School #50 Lake Travis
This game ended up a 55-0 win for Woodlands, which continues to build on its success. 

School #25 Xavier vs St. Anthony's
This was possibly a chance for St. Anthony's to put their hand up, and also a chance for Xavier to get their scoring mojo back after a game-and-a-half of not scoring. Xavier did what they needed to do, winning 77-0 and using their pace and speed of ball movement nicely, even as they had a tough time dealing with the size of the St. Anthony's forwards. Xavier Head Coach Greg Norris said the score flattered his side, but given that Xavier missed missed 10 conversions, it could have been a lot worse. Wing  Nick Bruno Jnr scored tries, some in pretty impressive fashion (including one where four guys had him dead to rights and he snaked through), and fullback Cairan Murray also scored four and sold ut his body to set up Bruno for one of Bruno's quartet.

School #49 Gonzaga vs School #30 Georgetown Prep
We went into detail on this one already>>. It was a tie, and a thrilling one at that. It's unlikely that this is the best Gonzaga can do, and Head Coach Peter Baggetta said as much, pointing out that his team rarely opens the season unbeaten, and while this is a weird year, he still expects his squad to build through the weeks.

Club #19 Danville vs School #12 Jesuit
Both teams have been dealing with injuries because players went straight from football to rugby, and some areas in California are still restricting contact practice (for contact sports, go figure). But they played, it was still a battle, and Danville won. Details here>>.

Club #17 Harlequin vs Club #21 Germantown
We've been calling them Harpeth or Harpeth Harlequins, but really we should be calling them Harlequin Rugby. Sorry about that. Anyway, while many thought Germantown should be favored, GRR's rankings had Harlequin ranked high and Harlequin won 30-22. Details here>>.

Club #40 Liberty vs Club #38 Eastside
According to the rankings this should have been a close game, and it was. Lower-ranked Liberty won 20-14, and we warned you about that.

Club #2 Genesis vs Club #4 West Valley Warriors
In the Blue/White final in Utah, which is basically the HS Club final in the Beehive State, Genesis won over West Valley in a tight game (as had happened earlier in the season). This time the score was 22-10. Note that the #1 HS Club Charlotte Tigers are idle so will this be enough for Genesis to bubble up to #1?