Last year’s Rugby Texas D2 champion Strake Jesuit is back for another season and this time in D1, but don’t expect them to quaver at the higher division—this is a strong Strake team.

“We have a lot more tests to go so we’ll see,” said Strake Jesuit Head Coach Jason Kimball, who moved to Strake from St. Pius X. “We’re on the right path.”

Strake had a vibrant team for years, but the school decided to fund a full-time coach this year. Kimball credited longtime Strake coach Bill Rung for what he did to build the program. Now with more support from the school, they can make a move.

“I’ve been around high school rugby since 2004,” said Kimball “And whenever you look at the list of top 25 single schools it’s littered with Jesuit schools. I had this vision that Strake Jesuit could be in tat conversation some day. It’s great that the administration is backing the program, and because of that numbers are increasing.”

The Strake program will field a varsity and a JV team, and they might even have a 3rd side.

“A lot of these players are just learning the sport,” said Kimball. “But we have a great senior class and a lot of young talent stepping up. Coach Rung really instilled in the players a philosophy of toughness, which he always expected out of the boys. The leadership group bring that.”

That leadership group includes senior fullback Ethan Kao and senior flanker/center/whatever-you-need Aiden Brown, who does all the unglamorous work.

Junior leaders include scrumhalf Rodrigo Munoz-Ledo, and front-rowers Pablo Gronados and Liam Garcia. Add to that an interior back pairing of flyhalf Marc Arsham and inside center Jarred Brussard, and there’s reason to believe Strake will be good this year, and the coming years too.

“We’ve got Lamar this week then Dallas Jesuit and then The Woodlands,” said Kimball. “We’re going to find out what we are pretty quick.”