It’s #10 vs #1 as St. Ignatius out of the Cleveland area takes on a Gonzaga team that almost lost last weekend.

For St. Ignatius this is a pretty steep hill to climb for the firs game of the season, but Head Coach Dan Arbeznik figures they have to start somewhere. 

“I think everyone is excited to get outdoors and see how things look,” said Arbeznik. “With the climate we have to deal with here, conditions don't really allow for much full-go stuff until we actually get on the pitch for that first one of the season. I think the coaches are just as excited as the players are to see how we really stack up.”

For Gonzaga, the Eagles almost lost to Gregory the Great, holding on for a 27-26 win.

“All credit to Gregory the Great,” said Gonzaga Head Coach Peter Baggetta. “They did a really good job, have a very good scrumhalf-flyhalf combination, are one of the most organized teams we’ll see all year long, and they could have won it.”

GGA had the ball and a chance to score to win it. But Gonzaga was able to be patient on defense and got a turnover. Then the players worked the ball for the final five minutes to end the game.

“I was very proud of how the players closed out the game,” said Baggetta. “Gregory the Great had really great line speed and put us under pressure. That was the first time the guys have been in that environment, and we found out what where our players are. They showed how they can deal with adversity.”

It’s a relatively young Gonzaga outfit, and it’s a relatively changed St. Ignatius team.

“We have a lot of new faces in our Varsity group this year but I think the guys are really committed to the process of building a solid team to peak at the right time,” said Arbeznik, who returns three starters frm last year’s Rugby Ohio championship team—Chris Mathews, Thomas Maloney, and Brian Strauss. 

“We'll rely heavily on their experience and leadership against Gonzaga,” said Arbeznik. “Our senior leadership has been terrific and the guys have been working hard in the weight room when the conditions haven't permitted us to be outside.”

This will be a massive game for both teams, but both coaches know, it’s still early days.