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All-Ranked Matchups and Championships Highlight HS Weekend

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All-Ranked Matchups and Championships Highlight HS Weekend

Budd Bay gets the ball out against Rainier. Heather Marti photo.

Into championships time in Arizona, Maryland IAA, Kansas, and Pennsylvania, we also welcome the opening of the season for the Massachusetts IAA.'

That MIAA (you see we have two) starts up with the two best teams of the past eight years or so, BC High and Belmont Shore, facing off. Those two teams have won every state championships since 2014. MIAA will be playing with some COVID adjustments—exploded scrums, limits on mauls, and refs ensuring rucks happen quickly—but they're playing.

The Maryland IAA we preview here: Maryland Interscholastic Final Brings Longtime Rivals Back Together

It's heating up in Connecticut also where we're seeing a possible coalescing of the teams. Is Greenwich (who lost to Staples 10-5 last week) down, or just starting slowly, or is Staples that good? We'll see as they face Fairfield Prep. 

Staples Makes History With Win Over Greenwich

Staples, meanwhile, takes on a Fairfield Pegasi team that feels pretty good about itself. 

Head Coach Gennaro Gelsi credits the local youth program with feeding his high school team.

"We have a group of seniors who have been playing since 6th grade," he said. Where have we heard that before? Actually a lot of places, with successful teams everywhere. This group of winged horses is basically the same group that made the state freshmen final and won D2 as sophomores.

"They are really clicking this year," said Gelsi. "The leaders are taking initiative. I feel like they get it."

We mentioned Corbin Smith's play in our Gamebreakers column but Gelsi said it's not been a one-man show. Hooker Jack Reidy has also been a standout in the set piece and in open play. He's a key linebreaker for them, and we'll see how they battle through a staunch Staples defense.

Greenwich, meanwhile, is scheduled to take on Aspetuck, another team bruised after a close loss.

It seems to be rivalry time all over. Cathedral Catholic plays St. Augustine in SCIRF. That's always a big clash and this one basically decided who's top dog in that Southern California varsity league. Budd Bay takes on Liberty in a game that is always interesting in Washington. Budd Bay's young Head Coach Malachi Jones led his squad to a big win over Rainier last week.

Budd Bay lost to Eastside 17-12 after seeing a player get red-carded three minutes into the game. (Wait 14 months to play again and get red-carded three minutes in ... that hurts.) Knox coaches football at Timberline HS, one of six high schools that feeds Budd Bay. He has pro-rugby football connections throughout the region. 

"We played touch rugby during the fall—we got the local government approval to do that—and that was big for us," said Jones. "My kids actually watch rugby. They learn the game. We make sure everyone plays, and has a good time, and they're enjoying it. Budd Bay and Liberty kids have been playing against each other for state titles since elementary school. They know each other. They're rivals. They're friends. They've played for EIRA and the Washington Wolverines together. They go play hard against each other but we still respect each other. That's what the game is about."

No argument here.

We have 20 games in which both teams involved are ranked. This includes a Tempe vs Red Mountain Arizona final that could be a monster barnburner if their U16 final (38-36 for Tempe) is any indication. 

Check back for scores

5/12 Mission Bay 21-50 Cathedral Catholic JV SCIRF
5/13 Kansas City Jr. Blues 60-22 Independence Kansas
5/13 Withrow 46-17 Lakota Ohio
5/14 Monarch 10-40 Regis CIRA
5/14 Ridgefield 21-60 Simsbury Connecticut
5/14 Greenwich at Fairfield Prep Connecticut
5/14 Avon 15-17 Pendleton Indiana
5/14 Leo at Homestead Indiana
5/14 Calvert Hall 7-19 Loyola Blakefield MIAA Final
5/14 Salesianum at St. Augustine NJ School
5/14 Jesuit Sac 15-17 Granite Bay NorCal
5/14 Olentangy 48-29 Hilliard Ohio
5/14 Walsh Jesuit 34-19 Hudson Ohio
5/14 Hopkins 28-0 Southside Minnesota
5/14 South River 10-45 Minnetonka Minnesota
5/14 Edina 0-52 Eagan Minnesota
5/14 Beacker 5-40 Albert Lea Minnesota
5/13 SLUH 49-5 Chaminade Missouri
5/14 BC High 17-24 Belmont Mass IAA
5/15 Capital HS 20-27 Rocky Mountain Idaho D1 Final
5/15 Valor Christian Ppd Palmer CIRA
5/16 Fairfield ND 17-19 Staples Connecticut
5/15 Greenwich Ccld Aspetuck Crossover
5/15 Kansas City Jr Blues 19-5 Penn Crossover
5/15 Florida Jaguares at Phoenix Alpharetta Crossover
5/15 Bishop Dwenger 46-0 Culver Indiana
5/15 HSE Ccld Royal Irish Indiana
5/15 North Central at Noblesville Indiana
5/15 Louisville Crash at Carmel Indiana
5/15 Brownsburg at Louisville Crash Indiana
5/15 Carrol 33-41 Marian Indiana
5/15 Westfield at Zionsville Indiana
5/15 Danville 12-24 De La Salle NorCal
5/15 Elk Grove at Sac PAL NorCal
5/15 Gridley 72-12 Elsie Allen NorCal
5/15 Liberty at Berkeley NorCal
5/15 Lamorinda 5-50 SFGG NorCal
5/15 Marin at Mother Lode NorCal
5/15 St. Xavier Cincinnati 14-15 St. Ignatius Ohio
5/15 Gregory the Great 20-17 St. Joseph's Prep Rugby PA D1 SF
5/15 Doylestown 53-12 West Allegheny Rugby PA D1 SF
5/15 Media W-L Berks/West Chester Rugby PA D2 SF
5/15 Blackthorn W-L Indiana Rugby PA D2 SF
5/15 Fallbrook Dragons at Mira Costa SCIRF
5/15 Coronado 30-29 Steele Canyon SCIRF
5/15 Belmont Shore 59-0 San Clemente SoCal
5/14 SOC Raptors 24-21 Thunder SoCal
5/15 Mustangs 36-10 Back Bay SoCal
5/15 Fort Hunt 33-26 Vienna Virginia
5/15 Liberty 50-29 Budd Bay Washington
5/15 Eastside at Rainier Washington
5/15 Tempe 45-15 Red Mountain Arizona Final
5/15 Brazoria vs Rangers Texas Shield Pool
5/15 San Antonio L-W Katy Texas Shield Pool
5/15 Four Points W-L Plano Texas Bowl Pool
5/15 Woodlands II W-L SALT Texas Bowl Pool
5/15 Pool Winner vs Pool Winner Texas Shield Final
5/15 Four Points 26-12 Woodlands II Texas Bowl Final
5/15 Pool Loser vs Pool Loser Texas Bowl 3rd/4th
5/15 Pool Loser vs Pool Loser Texas Bowl 3rd/4th
5/15 Strake Jesuit 31-29 Westlake Texas Plate Final
5/15 Woodlands 57-0 West Houston Texas Cup Final
5/15 PAC 14-5 East Colorado
5/15 Colorado Springs Falcons 17-5 Titans Colorado
5/15 Richmond 21-31 West End Virginia
5/15 Western Loudoun W-L Summit Academy Virginia
5/15 Great Falls 19-43 Winchester Virginia
5/15 Fort Hunt 33-26 Vienna Virginia
5/15 St. Thomas Aquinas 48-20 St. James Kansas Final
5/15 Kingfishers vs Blue Valley Kansas Tier 2 Final
5/15 Neuqua 21-26 Brother Rice Illinois
5/15 Glen Ellyn 43-0 Chesterton Academy Illinois
5/16 Gonzaga 19-0 Xavier Crossover
5/16 Maryland Exiles 19-21 West Shore United Crossover
5/16 Maryland Exiles 7-5 Frederick Maryland
5/16 Bethesda Roosters at Diamondbacks HS Maryland
         
5/16 Union 26-31 Bridgewater NJ Club
5/16 Highlander Ccld Morris NJ Club
5/16 Delbarton 10-7 St. Augustine NJ School
5/16 Medina 49-17 Brunswick Ohio
5/16 Shaker Heights 39-27 Canton Ohio
5/16 Findlay 0-20 Avon Ohio
5/16 Mentor 12-42 Perrysburg Ohio
5/16 Moeller 17-35 St. Edward Ohio
5/16 St. Anthony's 7-45 Pelham Rugby NY
5/16 Gregory the Great 31-5 Doylestown Rugby PA D1 Final
5/16 Media 27-24 Blackthorn Rugby PA D2 Final
5/17 Cathedral Catholic 22-11 St. Augustine SCIRF
5/16 Morris 12-55 Aspetuck Crossover