Rugby Indiana Crowns Champions
Rugby Indiana Crowns Champions
Rugby Indiana crowned seven state champions over the weekend.
Carmel won the Girls HS championship and also the girls 7th/8th-grade championship, while Noblesville won the girls Challenge Cup.
Among the boys, Center Grove won a close final in the Boys 7th-8th grade and St. Xavier (Ky.) took the Challenge Cup over Chargers.
In the top boys championships there was plenty of action.
Division 1
Pendleton beat Leo HS 42-19 in the final but it wasn't all a comfortable run, as Pendleton just barely got by Avon 35-31 and Leo had to work for it 32-20 over Westfield.
After an early interception try by Leo, Pendleton settled down and Will Logan scored from short range. Shortly afterward Logan called his own number again from a lineout and scored his second try. Hunter Branham rounded out the half scoring with a try and Pendleton led 21-7.
Opening the second half scoring was Branham again. and then Nick Trout picked up from the base of the ruck and was over. Leo came back to score twice before Justin Beeler broke three tackles in a long run to score.
Super League
Royal Irish held off Penn HS 19-12 in the semis while HSE Fishers squeaked by Bishop Dwenger 26-24. The Royal Irish vs Penn HS game was a fractious one. This season is the final one for Penn HS Head Coach Bart Bottorff and his side put in quite a performance for their coach, winning the Midwest Championship, finishing 2nd in Tier II at the HS National Championships, and getting to the state final. However, Royal Irish, pipped for a place in that Tier II final by Penn in the semi, in overtime, was looking get some measure of revenge.
As has been the way of things, the margin was small, and this year's game was a typically intense affair. Penn exerted their superior power, but their discipline hurt them and got them into penalty trouble. They also passed up a shot at goal that could have given them the lead late, instead opting for the lineout. Royal Irish held them off and three late penalty goals from flyhalf Tommy Hannon saw Royal Irish through 19-12.
Unfortunately the game ended with tempers boiling over. This rivalry isn't always a friendly one and with officials struggling to keep tempers on an even keel, an altercation broke out. Coaches and officials stepped in to calm everyone down but it wasn't the game's best moment.
In the final, Royal Irish faced an HSE Fishers team that needed to battle hard to beat Dwenger.
HSE Fishers (aka Mudsock) used their kicking game to keep Royal Irish off-kilter, and it took a while for Royal Irish to get over the line. Finally, scrumhalf John Benson threw a couple of dummies and sneaked through gaps to score two tries.
That was enough, and Royal Irish won 20-17.
"It wasn't the game we hoped to produce, but the result was," said Royal Irish Head Coach Dave Snyder. "A season that has had more obstacles than any in our history seemed to be appropriate to finish with the same style. A 20-17 final was a surprise, but it's great to see new teams in the Super League making a run at the Royal Irish and the State Championship."