The Gonzaga College High School Rugby team won the Mid Atlantic High School Championship over St Gregory’s, 29-0, Sunday in rainy Baltimore.
It was Gonzaga’s third straight MARFU title and fifth in six years.
The rain and the sloppy field made for a opening 15 minutes of tactical kicking and testing of each teams back three. At that point the Gonzaga forwards asserted themselves with a series of pick and goes.
At the 30-meter line flyhalf Gabe Cunningham called for the ball and found wing David Penberthy with a perfect timed pass through the middle of the St Gregory’s defense for the try.
The next score for the Eagles was the play of the game with scrumhalf Ricky Neel-Feller blocking a kick at midfield collecting the ball and going the distance for a try while breaking four tackles. Wing Johnny McMurray closed out the scoring in the first half when Cunningham found McMurray in stride with a kick to the wing.
The conditions got worse in the second half but the Eagles kept the pressure on. Max Johnston made a break to the weak side and set up David Penberthy for his second try. The Gonzaga forwards dominated the rucks and mauls with Dylan Jones, Victor Calix, Gabe Free and Pat Wolf crashing through the St Gregory’s line.
The final score came from Keegan Downey after a build up of pick and goes and Downey muscled in from five yards out.
The win sends Gonzaga to the USA Rugby High School National Championships as the No. 6 seed in the country May 15-16 in Pittsburgh.
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