An early Midwest cross-border matchup saw 2024 Indiana state winners Pendleton beat 2024 Ohio state finalists St. Xavier 40-8 Saturday in the opener for both teams.
It was difficult weather-wise and early days for both but the teams overcame the weather to put together some good moments of rugby.
At the eight minute mark, Jacob Rowley took a pass from Garrett Pederson and rumbled 40 meters to score and put Pendleton up 5-0. St. Xavier earned a penalty and took the option for the kick, which Jake Schleif slotted to make it 5-3.
But overall the visitors from Indiana seemed to be playing with confidence.
For the next 15 minutes, neither team would score despite moving the ball from one 22 to the other. In the final five minutes of the first half, Pendleton made it down to the St. X tryline. But they knocked-on working a tap penalty move, and then were held up in-goal.
Finally lock and captain Jacob McKlinley broke through and was on his way to paydirt when he was tackled high in the action of scoring—penalty try and a 12-3 Pendleton lead.
Immediately after receiving the restart, the Arabians were in Bomber territory. A nifty line break from prop Zane Davis led to an offload and eventually utility man JJ Kissick found Michael Hooker to finish the movement and score. Isaac Pimental converted and Pendleton took a 19-3 lead into the halftime break
