The post-season is nearly upon the Wisconsin girls high school league, and out front, as usual, are Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) and Catholic Memorial. The pair compete in different pools; however the Dashers got an inside look at their state rival during the Crusaders’ 67-0 win over the DSHA JV team last week.

Catholic Memorial is currently 4-0 and has not allowed a point against. The ranks are a little stronger this year, as returners exited a difficult spring with a fortified resilience, and talented underclassmen have embraced the sport. In fact, this year marked the first season where a selection of freshmen have brought years of touch rugby experience with them.

“We’re starting to see that pay off,” Catholic Memorial coach John Waliszewski said of the five-year-old local touch program. “They really doubted themselves at first and were very nervous about tackling; it was a big change for them. But they’re excited and have a certain game sense about them. They’re good ballcarriers and comfortable with ball in hand.”

Catholic Memorial needed that boost in popularity. Being a small school, if one class isn't hooked on rugby, then the roster fluctuates greatly. Even now, the team is approximately 25 players deep. Fortunately, the Crusaders have some superb seniors leading out front. Chief among them is Ellie Metz, this year’s captain. This is her fourth year as a starter, and she’s played all over the backline. This year, she’ll be directing traffic from scrumhalf.

Lizzy Walicki is another four-year starter who moves around a lot, too, and sees time in the loose forwards and midfield.

“She was always talented, but she found consistency last year,” Waliszewski said. “She spends a lot of time outside of practice getting fitter, stronger, and has a personal trainer.”

Keep an eye on Kelsey Gustafson as well; she’s been the team’s tighthead prop for three years now and lends strength to the scrum.

“We completely change every year based on the talent we have,” Waliszewski said to this year’s style of play. “It’s both frustrating and fun. Some years we play more tight, or kick more – it depends on the experience. It’s stressful rebuilding every year, but then players have a better sense of different tactics and have the ability to change.”

Catholic Memorial has guaranteed its post-season berth, as has DSHA. Coach John Klein is dealing with a completely different dynamic this year. In 2014-15, DSHA had 20+ seniors on the roster; this year, he has three starters returning. The JV side is younger than usual, but the program still pulls at least 55 players to training.

“I’m not sure how we’re doing it, but we’re figuring it out,” Klein said. “A lot of people might doubt us, but the players have a ‘we’ll prove them wrong’ mentality. They want to show that they can do this, too, that they’re part of a tradition and legacy. They’re driven and motivated.”

DSHA has outscored its league opponents 286-10 and their strength is rooted in their pack right now. Seniors Abby Barczak and Christina Keyser are well supported by Wisconsin U19 all-stars Sarah Clarke and Maeve Hanley.

Meg Walker is the one to watch in the open field. The three-year starter who gets time at fullback and flyhalf is a great finisher, and she already has teams like Harvard and Lindenwood calling her name.

The state tournament will be held on Oct. 25 and the wealth of talent isn’t lost on area coaches. Lindenwood, Davenport, and Winona State are just a few colleges that will be in attendance. Here's where the teams currently stand: