The big favorites and rivals will meet for the Boys HS National Championship school-team championship, but we also saw some surprises on Day Two.
Consolation Semis
Xavier defeated Jesuit 20-19 in a result that was certainly a bit of an upset. Jesuit wasn’t helped by a red card for a tip tackle that was completely unnecessary. But Xavier played smart. They entered halftime down 12-8 but had the wind in the second half.
The Xavier forwards battled well and Xavier found some space out wide and they held Jesuit to just the one try.
Staples and Greenwich renewed their rivalry and it was a case of Greenwich playing one of their more unified games of the season. Having been slammed badly by Gonzaga the day before, Greenwich brought it for the second day. Staples, which had been dealing with illness (the flu) during the days leading up to the championship, were a bit flat.
Head Coach Neal Seideman said it wasn’t post-flu fatigue that was the team’s problem, it was an assumption that Thursday’s big loss for Greenwich meant the game wouldn’t be difficult.
It was a classic case of the top six inches telling the story. Greenwich 30 Staples 12.
Gonzaga vs Herriman
In a game that the Gonzaga captains said was one of the most physical and most fun games they had played, Gonzaga weathered a ferocious Herriman start to win.
A brilliant day from scrumhalf Joey Ries led the way for Gonzaga as they pulled away 32-14. For Gonzaga, this was perhaps their best performance in a season where they have played 17 ranked opponents.
Gonzaga’s forwards and the discipline in their forwards was key.
