Divine Savior Holy Angels and Sparta Rock will face off in Sunday’s final of the Girls Midwest Rugby Championships.
Both won their first two games on a day when a relatively short thunderstorm interrupted a beautiful day of rugby.
Quarterfinals:
DSHA 46 Penn 0
St. Joseph's 38 Grandville 20
Catholic Memorial 31 Warsaw 0
Sparta Rock 44 Chargers 0
Consolation Semifinals:
Grandville 50 Penn 14
Warsaw 32 Chargers 17
Cup Semifinals:
DSHA 41 St. Joseph's 0
Sparta Rock 35 Catholic Memorial 0
Quarterfinals
St. Joseph’s Academy had to really work for it against a Grandville team with some significant talent. With Chayse Barksdale and Olivia Graham getting work done up front, an effective and elusive midfield combination of Marla Aymond and Hallie Fewless, and with Rachel Wilkie showing power and savvy at flyhalf Grandville matched St. Joe’s try-for-try in the first half.
But the Jaguars, led by the halfback combination of Mary McEwan and Megan Chura, SJA started to move the ball with fluidity and forced Grandville’s forwards to run. With the likes of the second row pairing of Addy Yarian and Grace Gibbons getting to the breakdown and helping get quick ball, that unleashed Chura and, at fullback, Madelyn Hubbell to put the game away 38-20.
DSHA’s defense was strong but they also controlled possession well against Penn in their quarterfinal. Divine Savior put on the pressure consistently and it was just far too much for Penn to get out of their own end.
No. 8 Melanie Sanchez ran good lines and her loping stride at up meters. The center pairing of Flannery O’Keef and Yesenia Morales worked well together, with one making breaks and the other in support. Toby Dahm was a workhorse supporting everyone else and got her tries as a result.
The pieces began to come together and DSHA rolled 46-0.
Sparta Rock also won comfortably, beating the Chargers 44-0. Annabelle Dauser is a ball hawk and powerful runner and whether she’s in the second row or the back row she makes things happen. Paige Longcore bashed through lines in the midfield and that left space open out wide for the speedsters.
Catholic Memorial also pitched a shutout, but the score was a little misleading. Yes CMHS won 31-0 but Warsaw was very close to scoring on several occasions and put their opponents under pressure. Catholic Memorial got around the fact that in general their opposition is bigger by moving the ball quickly and making good-technique tackles.
Scrumhalf Alexandra Mavurczak was quick, direct, and explosive, and with support runners like flanker Marigold Fritz they were able to make every scoring chance pay off.
