GRR: Xavier HS
In what has to be thought of as an upset, Pelham HS defeated Xavier HS 20-14 in MetNY action over the weekend.
Pelham (ranked #21 by GRR) left the game elated with the win over the #2-ranked Xavier, but also feeling like they could have scored more.
“In three years of playing varsity, I think that was the best Xavier Rugby has played,” said senior fullback Padraig Long and Man of the Match when describing the Knight’s win over Shawnigan Lake High School, a top tier rugby program in Canada. “The boys were on top of it from the beginning,” Long said.
Xavier HS of NY defeated Connecticut-based Aspetuck over the weekend in a well-played clash of two teams with national championship aspirations.
Both Xavier's 1st and 2nd sides took wins on St. Patrick’s Day. Junior lock Hanoi Nelson, who scored Xavier’s first A-side try, described the victory over Aspetuck best, saying “we came out explosive and we didn’t let up.”
The past week saw several state champions crowned in Boys HS rugby, with New York, Connecticut, and Illinois all seeing championship games.
Here's a roundup:
IllinoisGlen Ellyn ran out to a 24-7 lead and held off Notre Dame de la Salette 36-29 in the Illinois Boys D1 final.
The Xavier Knights and Greenwich Cardinals arrived at Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn, NY knowing that their match was a must-win and a key HS Nationals seeding game.
In a dramatic clash, Xavier won by a single point 19-18.