High School Boys
Some notes around the nation in HS rugby as some playoffs start, or get set to start.
ColoradoIn a battle of unbeaten teams, Valor beat East HS 20-12 over the weekend.
Jacksonville capped off a nice improvement arc with a 29-12 win over Tampa to make next week's Florida final.
The Wolverines had opened the league season with a shutout loss and remained in a battle with Key Biscayne and Tampa, and even Gibbons, for a playoff spot. But their April 6 win over Tampa put them at 4-2, and this week the victory over Tampa was more emphatic.
Dallas Jesuit won the Texas/Louisiana Varsity Cup final Saturday night, defeating Strake Jesuit 27-14 to take the title and end their season undefeated.
The game was, at one point, 27-0, but two late Strake tries made it a little closer. In some sense, it was only right, as the game always seemed closer than 27-0.
Marquette HS has seen its strong start at the All-Catholic Tournament in St. Louis translate nicely into Wisconsin league play.
The Hilltoppers are now 3-0 after Friday's emphatic 56-0 victory over Middleton.
Tempe defeated Red Mountain in the Arizona Boys HS D1 final Friday night, taking the game and the championship 34-21.
It was a windy evening and Red Mountain started with the breeze at their backs. However, they had difficulty making it work for them. An eager Tempe defense put pressure on Red Mountain and that produced turnovers and mistakes.