Jesuit HS of Sacramento closed out the regular league season with a road victory over Granite Bay.

While the final score was 58-9, the game was much tougher than the score might indicate. The Marauders, recently bumped from #1 in the national rankings, were forced to work hard in the opening stages against the 8th-ranked HS club Granite Bay.  Scrumhalf Carlos Ramirez opened the scoring with a penalty just five minutes into the game. Granite Bay fullback Jon Rogers matched that four minutes later.  Ramirez hit another penalty just over 15 minutes in, but Granite Bay came back to hit two more penalties from Rogers to take the lead 9-6. 

After that, Jesuit's strength in the scrums started to tell. Pressure at pack-down time turned into points when Ramirez hit prop Joe Marchant with a quick pass on the weak side to score a try right at halftime.  With the conversion by Ramirez, Jesuit went into the break up 13-9.

The second half was all Jesuit.  Outside center George Niethammer scored, with another conversion by Ramirez. Prop Connor Bellinger got into the act with a well-taken try that was also converted.  Wing Jonathon Amadi used his speed to torch Granite Bay for an unconverted try.  Wing Jake Vassar then scored the first of his two tries that Ramirez converted.  Flanker and captain Garrett Kay, who was stellar on defense and had a number of long runs, scored an unconverted try. Replacement flyhalf Brian Bauer took over the kicking duties and convertd Vassar's second. And near the end of the game, Vassar was high tackled as he was going to score and the game ended with a penalty try for Jesuit that Bauer converted.

The Jesuit defense was swarming and refused to let Granite Bay cross the line the entire second half as the game ended 58-9. Kay and Neithammer were named players of the game.

“That was a dominant performance against a very athletic and well-drilled Granite Bay team,” said Jesuit Head Coach John Shorey. “We made a few small adjustments and the team increased the physicality around the breakdown, but that was a 28 man performance with unselfish rugby and positive tackles the order of the day.”

Jesuit is undefeated this year and wins the Nor Cal Premier League scoring 256 points and only giving up 67.  Jesuit scored 36 tries and only allowed 8.

Granite Bay needed a win to move up in the standings and finish 3rd at 3-2. Danville was idle, having capped their league season with a win over Mother Lode last week to finish 4-1. 

Here are the Premier and Top 5 Standings in Northern California. 

This year Jesuit is averaging 51 points per game while allowing the opposition just over 2 tries a game.  Five of their eight wins have come against ranked opponents.

Upcoming Game –

Jesuit will play a non-league game against Elsie Allen next Saturday before heading into the Spring Break.