Charlotte Catholic won the North Carolina single-school boys HS rugby championship this weekend with an emphatic 55-17 defeat of rivals North Meck.

Led by the play of wing Jonah Lamothe, who scored two tries and played solid defense, and with hooker Matthew Notorangelo having a big day running with the ball and on defense, Charlotte Catholic ran away with the championship.

“North Meck has some great players,” said Charlotte Catholic Coach Ian Mueller. “We wanted to guard against their overloads and make sure they didn’t hurt us out wide, and we did a good job there. We used our fitness and out pack really did a good job moving around the field.”

North Meck was led by center Corey Patton, and they asked questions of the Catholic defense, but usually those questions were answered. The victory caps an improvement arc for Charlotte Catholic that started mid-season, and included a runner-up performance in the Boys Nationals Tier II.

This was a tough week for North Meck, as one of their players died in a drowning accident. Several memorials have appeared for Marcos Hernandez, who died Tuesday.

"Marcos had a rare combination of fearlessness and compassion," North Meck Coach Bo Pasko told wbtv.com. "He was not only one of the most talented rugby players I've ever coached, but he was also truly loved by his teammates and friends. The family, friends, and fans of North Meck Rugby are devastated."

After the game, the Charlotte Catholic and North Meck teams came together out of respect for each other and Marcos Hernandez. The North Meck players gave the Catholic players wristbands in memory of Hernandez, and the Charlotte Catholic team donated $1,000 to Marcos Hernandez’s family.

“It was an intense game,” said Mueller. “But to see the kids come together like that after the game is what rugby’s all about.”