Boys HS National Championships, HS Video, Video

Boys Nationals - Meaning and Opportunity

Dan Bandoni photo.

05.26.2017 - Alex Goff

The Boys HS Rugby National Championships is over and done and continues to show us why playing outside of your region is a good thing.

High school teams that routinely challenge themselves and are used to that challenge succeed at nationals, and the cycle continues. And here at Goff Rugby Report (now in partnership with FloRugby.com) we see teams tha think they've got it all figured out struggle when playing out-of-league.

Ah, you say, well what about Fort Hunt? They were new to nationals this year and made the final. True, but Fort Hunt was playing out-of-region even before they applied to nationals. The Warriors started on a path of testing themselves before they applied to nationals. And that's as it should be.

Look at the video interviews linked below, and you will see a theme; players like testing themselves against opponents outside of their regular leagues. And if the players like it ... isn't that what it's about?

We will always get HS teams that are really, really good and don't play much out of their league. We will always have teams that play out-of-league and do it well, and opt for something other than the BHSRNC (Pacific Cup, for example). But if you want to play well on a regular basis at nationals, you have to formulate a schedule that helps prepare for the tournament. And if you want your players to get better, they need to face unfamiliar competition.

**Boys HS Nationals Scores (Links to reports, game video)**
Tier II Quarterfinals St. Thomas Aquinas 21-17 South Bay Brownsburg 75-0 Winnetonka Jesuit II 50-5 Greenville Charlotte Catholic 53-17 Blue Valley Consolation Semis South Bay 53-5 Winnetonka Greenville 17-29 Blue Valley Semis St. Thomas Aquinas 27-26 Brownsburg Jesuit II 10-24 Charlotte Catholic 7th/8th Winnetonka 10-49 Greenville 5th/6th Blue Valley 5-53 South Bay 3rd/4th Brownsburg 44-10 Jesuit II Final Charlotte Catholic 14-14 St. Thomas Aquinas STA wins on kicks	Single-School Quarterfinals Jesuit 62-3 Fishers Xavier 20-24 Herriman Penn 33-12 Greenwich St. Edward 5-25 Gonzaga Consolation Semis Fishers 12-32 Xavier Greenwich 31-26 OT St. Edward Semis Jesuit 17-5 Herriman Gonzaga 12-5 Penn (Game Reports) 7th/8th Fishers 19-26 St. Edward 5th/6th Greenwich 22-22 Xavier Greenwich wins on kicks 3rd/4th Herriman 15-43 Penn Final Gonzaga 13-21 Jesuit (Game Reports)	Club Quarterfinals Fort Hunt 40-15 Elsie Allen Granite Bay 30-12 KC Jr Blues Doylestown 29-15 United West End 0-55 Royal Irish Consolation Semis Elsie Allen 17-18 KC Jr. Blues United 37-12 West End Semis Fort Hunt 10-8 Granite Bay Doylestown 12-20 Royal Irish (Game Reports) 7th/8th Elsie Allen 38-34 West End 5th/6th Granite Bay 26-16 Doylestown 3rd/4th United 34-17 KC Jr. Blues Final Fort Hunt 16-18 Royal Irish (Game Reports)