A week after suffering a big defeat at the hands of Notre Dame College, Wheeling Jesuit rebounded with a dramatic 43-39 win over newly-minted Chesapeake Conference team Mount Saint Mary's Saturday.

For WJU it was an important step forward after last week's loss, and especially important to make a statement with their new coach arriving this coming week. In a high-scoring, exciting game, WJU led, fell behind, and then won it with a last-second try from freshman Alston Burton.

"Alston showed a lot of composure on the wing," said 5th-year player Allan Hanson, who, which 5th-year player Peter Malcolm, has been coaching WJU while the team waited for a new coach to be found. (Tom Duffy will take over next week.) "Last week we kind of had a mix of guys playing, but this week we took a more experienced team, and while we've got a lot of talent all over the roster, this was a more cohesive group of players. It was a big step forward and good to get the win, no matter how we got it."

Hanson and Malcolm were very strong - both have played with the Ohio Pro Rugby team and Hanson said they brought a lot back from that experience, "playing with some of the greatest rugby talent I have played with." But also looking good for WJU was lock Hugh McAllister, who was very strong in the lineout, and hooker/prop Christian Ghering scored two tries and helped the set piece click relatively well. 

Meanwhile, Mount Saint Mary's expected a tough test and got it. Head Coach Jay Myles ran out some young players, 

"The freshmen and sophomores got a true taste of quality rugby," said Myles. The Mount Men played really well against the powerhouse.

MSM No. 8 Travis Bewley was a constant difficulty for the WJU defense, as he broke through the gain line on several occasions and was a weapon at the back of the lineout. Center Tito Mirada was also an offensive threat. 

For MSM, it's a good start as they get set for the DI Chesapeake Conference. For Wheeling Jesuit, they have given themselves a nice confidence boost in anticipation of Duffy taking over the coaching duties. But Hanson said the players rallied around him and Malcolm, and continued to show the commitment.