The two defending champions from Boys HS National Championships met Saturday with the 2024 HS Club top dogs, the Charlotte Cardinals, defeating Gonzaga 45-10.
Gonzaga came into the game working on some combinations and perhaps in something of a reloading phase after their impressive championship repeat last year. The Eagles came into the game 3-1, having lost to Gregory the Great but having beaten three other ranked teams, St. Joseph's Prep, Vienna, and Fort Hunt.
The Cardinals came into the game 3-0 in three shortened games at the Carolina Ruggerfest, but it's worth remembering that their players had been plying a full single-school slate before moving to North Carolina's club season. So as a group of players, they had enjoyed more training time and game time, and that manifested itself into a solid win.
"A fantastic result against a very well-coached, structured team," said Charotte Head Coach Jason Zehmke. "Wins against Gonzaga are hard to come by and Peter and his boys never stopped fighting."
