Greenwich High School won the Connecticut state championship Wednesday, beating Fairfield 34-5 to win their seventh-straight state title.

Highlighting the Greenwich victory was the fact that tri-captains Mateo Gowland, Yoh Nakayama and Gardy Lebon each scored in their final match. Flanker Lebon, who is headed to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., next year, scored the team's first and final tries, while four-year A-side flyhalf Nakayama touched down with a characteristically twisting, darting run, to give his side a 19-0 lead in the first half.

Scrumhalf Gowland, another four-year starter, scored from fullback in the second half on a beautiful, slicing weak-side fill, in which Soh Nakayama (Yoh's sophomore brother), first faked strong, then delivered weak to begin the movement.

Junior wing Jack Freiheit, undoubtedly Greenwich's most improved player this year, beat his man on a nifty one-on-one juke in the first half to record his team-leading 25th try of the year.

Gowland extended his team career-record for points by converting three of five tries, which, in addition to a first-half penalty and his try, gave him 14 points on the day.

"I'm unbelievably proud of this team today," said Head Coach Joe Kelly afterwards, "for the way they handled both victory and defeat this year. "The State Championship is always our goal going into the season, and it's very satisfying that they accomplished that. It's an awesome way to finish the season, and now it's up to the underclassmen to uphold the great tradition we have established here."

Thanks to Greenwich rugby for info and photos.