After two weeks of snow and ice produced cancelations, the South Carolina high school winter league was back in action with a full slate of boys and girls matches.
The marquee matchup of the day was a contest between undefeated teams, Greer 76ers and Wando Warriors. The contest finished with Greer coming back to beat Wando 19-16.
“It was a very physical game. So intense!” said Wando Head Coach Mike Flood. “That’s why we do it. Every single one of those boys is now a better rugby player then they were when they woke up this morning.”
Wando was coming off a big win the weekend before against Oceanside Collegiate Academy (OCA). The Charleston rivals were able to get a Friday night match off under the lights before the snow and ice moved in last Saturday. Wando is led by their captain and star senior No. 8 Jack Moran. Moran accounted for 34 points against OCA with four tries and seven conversions.
Greer was unable to get any games in over the last two weeks and it showed in the penalty count.
“This was a sloppy game by us with a lot of penalties against us,” said Head Coach Warren Taylor. “We had a learning curve in the first half without a game in three weeks and limited practices with snow- and ice-covered fields.”
The game started in Greer’s favor. Known for their big forward pack, the 76ers were able to build possession off the opening kick and score first with senior flanker Adrian Stancel dotting down. The wind was a factor on the day but Greer was able to string multiple phases early against the wind. Senior flyhalf Grayson Curran made the conversion for the early 7-0 lead.
