The Jesuit Classic kicks off this weekend at Morven Park in Leesburg, Va. with some of the top-ranked HS teams in the country participating.

Among them, Gonzaga, the three-time defending national single-school champs and currently ranked #2 by Goff Rugby Report (as of last week), For Hunt (ranked #1 among HS clubs), Charlotte Catholic (#10 single-school), St. Thomas Aquinas (#23 single-school), West End (#32 club), Greenwich (#7 single-school), Union County (#9 club), and Myers Park (#26 single-school).

And the teams not ranked - the likes of Loyola Blakefield, Bishop Hendricken, Loudoun/Prince William, West Shore, and Good Counsel all have talent and could show well. Gonzaga will be fielding two side, Purple and Black, with the Purple usually their strongest squad.

Greenwich just came off a nice win over Fairfield Prep, and Head Coach Joe Kelly said this tournament gives him a chance to see where his Cardinals team matches up on a national level.

"It’s not just about how good we are, but how good everyone is," he said.

St. Thomas Aquinas is coming off a successful tour to Ireland and a win over KC Jr. Blues. 

"We need this competition," said STA Head Coach Tim Kluempers. "It's a good gauge of where we are. The tour was really good for us, and not just the games, but the cultural stuff and th exposure to some different coaching." 

The tournament will also feature JV and freshman games. 

The tournament will be a straight bracket format. The teams have been seeded and will play #1 v #16, #2 v #15, and so on. The winners will enter the cup semis, while the losers go on to a consolation bracket. 

In the first round, Gonzaga Purple, Charlotte Catholic, and Fort Hunt are favored. Greenwich would expect to get by Gonzaga Black, and Union County and Aquinas are probably also favored. The West End v Bishop Hendricken game could be a pick 'em game.