The state of Wisconsin has adopted the fall 15s/spring 7s format for its girls high schools championships, and the league hosted its second 7s state championship in Cottage Grove last weekend. The Brookfield Bruisers ended the day on top, going 3-0-1 and beating Catholic Memorial 10-5 in a final marked by resolute defense.

“Both Catholic Memorial and Brookfield played outstanding defense throughout the tournament,” said Brookfield head coach Neil Grintjes. “Neither team over-committed to the ruck and spread the field on defense. All told, Catholic Memorial gave up six tries over four games, and Brookfield gave up five tries in four games. The defense in the final was amazing on both sides.”

Brookfield leaned on the senior leadership of players like Reina Anderson, who scored two 70-meter tries in the 15-10 win over Kettle Morraine and is heading to Lindenwood in the fall; Morgan Pinzer, a Midwest U19 Thunderbird heading to UW Platteville next season; Emily Winter, Wisconsin U19 center and UW Lacrosse commit; Destiny Dallas, who will attend Howard University in the fall and continue her rugby with NOVA or the D.C. Furies; and Miranda Bradford (pictured).

Gracious in victory, Grintjes was quick to acknowledge some influential circumstances at play during the 7s championship.

“We know Catholic Memorial had some key injuries to top players and the depth wasn't there,” Grintjes noted the absence of Crusader stars Ellie Metz, Lizzie Walicki, and Meaghan Schmitt. “They still had a very strong 7s team with senior Lizzy Jacobsen – who has attracted interest from Penn State – junior Katie McGinn, and freshman standout Alison Krause. They are expecting an infusion of talent from the Waukesha Tag Rugby program, and I expect them to have a good year, as they are really only losing Jacobsen from the senior class.

“Obviously, Divine Savior was in Philly for the CRCs,” Grintjes tipped his hat to the longtime Wisconsin power. “Although they have 20 seniors graduating, they will bring in 10-15 new recruits, and I expect they’ll be the league favorite until someone beats them. However, that doesn’t diminish that this tournament was for the state championship.”

This state title might be the final push Brookfield needs to accelerate its development in the coming years. With 32 players CIPPed and drawing upward of 25 players per training session, the Bruisers expect the roster to push 40 in the fall, and Grintjes is developing the coaching staff to handle the burgeoning numbers. Meanwhile, the head coach is funneling his players into upper-level competition, as 17 players have signed up for the Wisconsin U19 all-stars, which is sending varsity and JV teams to the Rockford Regional All Star Championship, and a varsity team to the Pittsburgh showcase.

If all goes according to plan, then Brookfield will field a JV team in DII this fall, and the varsity side will look to test itself out of state against teams like Illinois state champ Plainfield, Minnesota powerhouse Armstrong, and Indiana finalist Penn. Brookfield hopes to challenge for a spot in the DI Midwest Championship in 2016. Ambitious goals, but again, Grintjes acknowledges the hard work that lies ahead.

“We finished third at the Wisconsin DI 15s championship, but we weren’t competitive with Divine Savior or Catholic Memorial,” Grintjes asserted. “In no way do I want to represent that Brookfield is better than these two teams, but I do expect to be more competitive next fall with the athletes we have coming back. You know that the best league – NorCal – has three really good teams in the Amazons, Danville, and Pleasanton. We hope to replicate that.”

That replication will come with more competitive opportunities for Wisconsin's players, and this spring’s 7s championship is part of that formula. Rick Bellis is the Director of 7s for the Wisconsin girls high school league. Bellis has also formed the Wisconsin U19 7s program, which will be led by Milwaukee Scylla coach Linda Nielmela. On July 11, Bellis and company will host a select 7s tournament in Madison, where eight teams – including the Minnesota Tundra and Iowa Selects – will compete. Wisconsin now offers playing opportunities year-round, and that can only yield positive results.