Here’s a quick wrap-up of the Boys HS-level All-Star tournaments played this weekend:

In the Northeast, the top three teams played a round-robin on Sunday to determine the Boys Varsity winner. Western NY and Met NY, which had tied on Saturday (MetNY won on kicks), tied again in the first game on Sunday, 17-17. MetNY was awarded the win based on the fact that they scored three tries to WNY’s two.

But that was the end of the suspense, as Rugby Pennsylvania dominated from there on in. Pa thumped WNY 53-0 and beat MetNY 52-19. MetNY Coach Matt Persanis said his team struggled in the fourth game of the tournament, hitting a bit of a wall, while Rugby Pa was deeper, bigger per-person, and very physical.

In the Boys JV bracket in Albany, it was a little closer, but Pennsylvania emerged winners over MetNY 14-7 in the championship game. 

 

Boys Order of Finish, Northeast:

Varsity

1. Pennsylvania

2. MetNY

3. Western NY / Capital Area

4. Greenwich

5. Connecticut

6. Massachusetts

7. New Jersey

 

JV

1. Pennsylvania

2. MetNY

3. New Jersey

4. Greenwich

5. Massachusetts 

6. Western NY / Capital Area

7. Connecticut

8. Amoskeag

 

In Matthews, NC just outside of Charlotte, the Celtic Elite, which is a team made up mostly of St. Edward and St. Ignatius players in the Cleveland area, with one or two others from that region, won out. The Celtic Elite, led by Pat Conway’s scoring touch and the hard work of Jack Bradfield, Zach Heisterkamp, Brock Yoho, and Andre Baldado, beat the Indiana Hawks 27-19 in the semis, and then beat the Florida Juice 25-12 in the final.

It was a very, very competitive tournament. Consider South Carolina, which won the Bowl, and thus finished 5th. They only lost once to Florida, 15-10 in the opening game, and then beat Virginia 2 (which was the stronger of the Virginia teams, it turned out), A.R.E., and Arkansas. Among the standouts for South Carolina was No. 8 Joe Thatcher, who plays for DII Bishop England, bury was a revelation this weekend.

The Plate was the 3rd/4th playoff (for which we don’t have a score). The Bowl was a round-robin played with the teams that ended the first two days ranked #5-#7. The Shield was a round-robin for teams ranked #8-#10, and the Golden Boot for teams ranked #11-13.

In the JV bracket, DC United dominated, beating A.R.E. in the semis 36-7 and the North Indiana Hawks 22-5 in the final. DC United was made up of mostly Gonzaga freshmen and sophomores, but included five players from other teams. But, said Coach Peter Baggetta, “we had an advantage” and that advantage was that three of the DC players - Will Lyke, Owen Sheehy, and Ian Kilcullen - started for Gonzaga in the national championships, and when you play over 20 top-level games with a varsity team, you’re going to stand out, and they did.

North Carolina won the Plate in both brackets.

 

Boys Order of Finish, South:

Varsity

1. Celtic Elite

2. Florida Juice

3. North Carolina (Plate)

4. N. Indiana Hawks

5. South Carolina (Bowl)

6. Arkansas

7. A.R.E.

8. Virginia 2 (Shield)

9. Georgia 

10. Maryland

11. Virginia 1 (Golden Boot)

12. Tennessee

13. Louisiana

 

JV

1. DC United

2. N. Indiana Hawks

3. North Carolina  (Plate)

4. A.R.E.

5. Virginia (Bowl)

6. Celtic Elite

7. Tennessee 

8. Florida

9. South Carolina

10. Louisiana

11. Georgia

12. Eastern NC

 

And in the Rocky Mountain Challenge, Eagle Impact Rugby Academy Southern California was very impressive in winning the Boys Varsity.

Made up of players from Southern California, with Sean Lumkong, Patrick Madden, and Anton Grigoriou in the backs, and Justin Johnson and Owen Duvall up front, the EIRA team outscored opponents Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Utah 176-8. Holding opponents to only one try over the weekend was an astonishing defensive feat. They shut out Utah - who were excellent over the weekend - 29-0.

It was once again a very impressive and huge tournament in Aurora, Colo, with outstanding fields and solid refereeing. 

Texas went 3-1 on the weekend, losing only to Utah 15-7, and finishing 3rd. Central Indiana, with a strong Royal Irish contingent, took 5th and were also 3-1.

In the JV bracket, Central Indiana showed how maybe splitting your state team isn’t a bad thing if you’ve got the depth (see how the North Indiana Hawks did above). They beat EIRA SoCal in the final 19-3 to take the title.

 

Boys Order of Finish, RMC:

Varsity

1. EIRA SoCal

2. Utah

3. Texas

4. Colorado

5. Central Indiana

6. 5785

7. Wisconsin

8. Heart of America

9. Missouri

10. Minnesota

11. Nebraska

12. New Mexico

13. Arizona

14. Idaho

15. Oklahoma

 

JV

1. Central Indiana

2. EIRA SoCal

3. Utah

4. Texas

5. Colorado 

6. 5785

7. Arizona

8. Nebraska

9. Wisconsin

10. Heart of America

11. Minnesota

12. Missouri