St. Ignatius of Cleveland tightened their grip on the #1 GRR ranking with an emphatic 64-5 victory over rivals Gonzaga.
This was a Gonzaga team that had graduated a slew of very strong and experienced players, while Ignatias has returned many who played in the 2024 single-school national final. So Ignatius was favored in this neutral-site clash in West Virginia. However, the Wildcats came into the match with some questions, especially about their defense, which has had a tendency to leak tries early.
St. Ignatius started the game working their system and developing a heavy overlap on the left side. But they didn't move the ball to exploit it and Gonzaga got out of trouble. Gonzaga worked their way back toward a threatening position, but a good poach in the breakdown led to a penalty, and from a lineout the ball was sent wide to wing Tommy Passerallo, And he was over for his 15th try of the season, one short of the team record.
Gonzaga responded well and helped by a clearance mistake by Ignatius and a penalty were on the Ignatius doorstep. They got another penalty, this one kickable, but the attempt at posts was blown wide by the brisk crossfield wind.
Iglantius was able to get out of that threat, and with a couple of penalties were pressuring the Eagles. Eventually they got a scrum near the Gonzaga line, scrumhalf Mark French sniped to the line, and somehow hooker Mason Hartley wriggled his way out of the scrum to go pick up and score. Chris Haney converted for a 12-0 lead.
Ignatius came close to scoring again, but a knock-on at the line and a held-up lef tthem without reward. Finally, however, the pressure showed and French was over on a quick tap.
Tries started to flow a bit quick. Ignatius pushed it wide, and Passerallo gathered a loose pass and blazed through a fractured Gonzaga defense. for his second try.
Haney converted to make it 26-0 at halftime.
