In its first trip to the New York state championship, Orchard Park finished the final four weekend 2-0, ending with a 33-29 win over reigning girls high school champ Play Rugby Academy for the title.

On Saturday, the Upstate New York leader lined up against City Honors, which entered the tournament seeded #3. The pair played each other during league a few weeks ago, and the match worked out in similar fashion. The teams were tied at half, but then Orchard Park pulled ahead for a 45-22 win and berth to the final. In the other semifinal, top-seeded Play Rugby Academy put on an offensive clinic, eliminating Hamburg 84-5.

In Sunday’s final, the New York City-based team went to work in the first half and took a 19-7 lead into the break.

“We were down at halftime, but the girls felt confident about the way they were playing,” Orchard Park coach Lisa Henrich said. “Despite the lopsided score, they were finding seams in the defense and were tackling fairly well.”

Slowly but surely, Orchard Park began chipping away at the deficit, and remained composed as Play Rugby answered with a couple of second-half tries itself.

“Throughout the season, they have been a second-half team,” Henrich explained. “I think that can be attributed to their fitness and their discipline. All season I have rallied them to observe other teams feeling fatigue and to notice when other teams start breaking down mentally and yelling at each other, etc. The Orchard Park girls derive real confidence from seeing other teams start to crack.”

Play Rugby gave up a few key penalties in its own 22, and those opportunities set up several quick-tap tries. Freshman standout Emily Henrich accounted for all of Orchard Park’s points. The inside center scored five tries, kicked four conversions, and was the clear choice MVP. Perhaps even more detrimental to the game’s outcome, Henrich “was a tackling machine,” according to her mom and coach, and led an aggressive backline defense that challenged Play Rugby’s potent fliers.

“I do not think Play Rugby had faced a backline that is as aggressive tackling as Orchard Park,” coach Henrich indicated. “As the game progressed, they did alter their offense and focused their efforts on getting the ball wide quickly to their incredibly speedy wings. The wings made it to the try zone a couple of times but were also tracked down by the relentless defensive effort of Orchard Park's back three.”

As the game entered the final minutes, Play Rugby incurred a red card, and the player-advantage helped Orchard Park seal the 33-29 win.

“After the game, USA Eagle Mike Petri was effusive in his compliments for the girls,” Henrich added, “saying it was one of the best games of rugby he has seen at the high school or college level.”

Sunday rounded out with the third-place match, and City Honors defeated Hamburg 27-15 in an all-Buffalo showdown.