Aspetuck held off an improving Xavier HS team 32-19 Saturday in what has become a regular rivalry game between the two teams.

A year ago Aspetuck won this matchup convincingly but Xavier is a year older and wise and put in an improved performance. Xavier continued to tackle hard and looked to build on their 43-0 win over Fort Hunt (albeit not the most experienced lineup Fort Hunt could have put out), and have been getting some big plays from fullback Jake Billows.

But Aspetuck's combination of rapier and sledgehammer has stood them in good stead. They can slog it out, with forwards Matt Weiner and Amari Phillips, and did so when the occasion demanded it on Saturday. Or they can slice you up with flyhalf Pearson Hill always a threat to break one off—or dupe you into worrying so much about him he can free up his backline teammates. Among them, wing Jack Reed, who added some huge kicks for territory to his arsenal and also scored a try.

All of that was on display on Saturday, with Hill taking player of the game honors.

"We seem to have found our identity," said Aspetuck Head Coach Ray Weiner. "Early on in the season we had some injuries and guys out and we had to put others into different positions. That made it tough then, but now that's given us a squad where a lot of players have experience at different positions."

At the same time, Weiner and Hill provide that combination of power and elusiveness that raises the level.

"We are in every game with those two," said Coach Weiner. "We're not fancy. But we do the basics well."

And they need to as every game Aspetuck has played this season has been against ranked opposition.

Aspetuck Results this season:
March 6 Aspetuck 20 Fort Hunt 27
March 12 Aspetuck 31 Berks 0
March 19 Aspetuck 36 Vienna 28
March 25 Aspetuck 25 Greenwich 19
April 2 Aspetuck 12 Staples 12
April 9 Aspetuck 32 Xavier 19

Upcoming:
April 16 Aspetuck at Royal Irish
April 23 Gonzaga Tournament
April 30 Aspetuck vs St. Ignatius
May 7 Aspetuck vs Morris
May 19-21 HS National Championships (Club Division)