Delbarton repeated as the New Jersey single-school champion, defeating St. Augustine 27-14 Saturday.

The two teams met recently, with St. Augustine winning that game, but Delbarton got revenge Saturday.

“St. Augustine has improved dramatically in the last two years, probably more so than anyone else in NJ,” said Delbarton Head Coach Nicholas Infante. “They have some players that are new to rugby but they are definitely tough, athletic kids and well-coached.”

Infante said this was the first time in eight years that his Delbarton backs were more dangerous than the forward pack. They needed the forwards to play tough defense and they did, while the backs have done well as season controlling field position with a kick-and-chase game.

“I’d put this group of backs out against anyone in the country and know that we could at least compete, and we've seen some tough teams this year,” said Infante.

Senior captain Jon Catania has been outstanding at outside center, while a big scorer has been Andrew Petrillo, who is also the top hockey player in the state.

Senior Patrick Agnew is the backline’s defensive leader, while No. 8 Dalton Smart picked up the slack in the forwards after all-state prop Jake Maciejewski and captain Milton Zuanic were felled by injuries earlier in the season.