Cumberland Valley Wins Again
Cumberland Valley Wins Again
Cumberland Valley won again, beating West Shore United in a midweek game and moving to 4-0 in the Rugby Pennsylvania Boys Club White division.
CV is actually a single-school team, but geography and logistics mean they're better off in the HS club league. Regardless, after beating West Shore 34-12, Cumberland Valley is now 4-0 having outscored league opponents 246-24.
CV played tough defense in the initial stages and took advantage of some ball handling errors by the West Shore backline to steal possession and claim an early try. Thereafter, West Shore did well to keep the ball close to their breakdown and used the pick-and-go repeatedly. In doing so, they maintained possession and starved CV of the ball.
Kicks from hand by CV flyhalf Arnud Arvis relieved pressure more than once. When CV did get the ball inside WSU's 22, the West Shore pressure forced some loose passes by the Cumberland Valley players.
West Shore's Sergio Colby Rigg, and Alex Schlager and others easily fended off would-be tacklers, putting Cumberland Valley under under tremendous pressure in the first half. Both teams failed to take advantage of relatively easy kicks at goal in the late stages of the half, but West Shore did get a try to mak it 7-5 Cumberland Valley at the break.
CV's kicking accuracy, lacking in the first half, was much improved in the second period. Nolan Weir notched ten of CV's 27 second-half points, including two penalties and a difficult conversion. The assist of the match came from Cumberland No. 8 Logan Thorne when he dished back inside to PSU-bound lock Gavin Zeigler, who then galloped 40 meters for the try. That put Cumberland Valley up 17-5. Center Kanyon Vilaychith added two more second-half tries, and CV kickers - Weir and Logan Thorne - were 5-5 kicking at goal. The game ended with WSU being awarded a penalty try, allowing them to bring it 34-12 at the game's final whistle.