"We had six opportunities inside the 22 in the first half which we didn't convert," said Gonzaga's Baggetta. "So were not happy that we were not clinical enough. But credit to Ed's who never stopped playing."

Still it was a step forward for St. Edward, which, despite being tenacious (and perhaps a shade unlucky) were shut out by St. Ignatius a week ago.

"We just focused on the little stuff this past week," said St. Edward Head Coach Greg Miranda. "Making sure the simple mistakes don’t happen and we play within our heads. We have a very capable team to compete at the national level, but poor decisions happen in our tense and eager moments. Teaching these lads to not let the lights of the game overwhelm their ability to see the field, and what the next phase should bring is a focus for the remaining weeks of the season."

They certainly were able to toss aside a rough start to keep the game within their grasp, and indeed they did keep playing, scoring a try at the death to make it 36-21. They did that with some starters out due to injury and some young players stepping into the fray.

"Very proud of these lads as they held their own and immediately contributed when they saw the field," said Miranda. "Overall, very proud of these lads—their chemistry, their grit, and their brotherhood. Maybe if we didn’t make small mistakes, things would have been different against Iggy… maybe if we were at full force, things would have been different against Gonzaga. Our focus will be to get rid of the maybes next time around."

Miranda concluded with a thought echoed by Baggetta:"Grateful for the games, as that level of competition—Iggy and Gonzaga—teaches us the most about ourselves and gives us valuable lessons to improve upon. Hats off to those two great programs… can’t wait to face off again."