Pssst. I have some news for you.
You may not know this yet, but Kansas is turning out some really good rugby squads.
Yes, Kansas, the land of corn and….that’s all I’ve got.
Multiple Kansas teams went to nationals this year and several were highly ranked on the Goff Report. But with so many buttkickers in the state, the competitive landscape in Kansas has become increasingly intense. This includes a fresh rivalry between the top two high school teams. Let’s take a look.
For years there has been one king of the roost in Kansas - St. Thomas Aquinas High School. They have dominated the state to the tune of 14 state titles out of the last 16.
Those two missing pieces of hardware on their mantlepiece belong to the newest kid on the block - St. Martin’s Academy, which has only existed since 2019.
St. Martin’s showed up out of nowhere and just sorta said “hey gang, this place has a new bully. Get used to it.” They’ve won back to back state titles over Aquinas, resetting the pecking order in Kansas.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a wonderful rivalry is born.
This past season, Aquinas and St. Martin’s played each other a bazillion times. Aquinas wasn’t screwing around this year after losing the title last season - they beat St. Martin’s twice during the regular season with scores of 37-22 and 22-19. Both were fiercely fought and occasionally emotional games.
Although both regular season games were won by Aquinas, the consensus was that the state championship could go either way. Both teams had solid seasons, good coaches, and experienced players in key positions. The anticipation leading up to the state title match was palpable in the locker rooms and dormitories of the respective schools. The press was having a field day with all the drama, stoking up the intensity to a fever pitch with inflammatory articles! (Ok not really but we can dream right?)
Then the big day arrived. Aaaand chaos ensued.
I wasn’t there but here is a first-hand account of the Kansas state title game:
It was a total goat rodeo. The head referee had a cramp attack and couldn’t finish the game. Neither of the assistant refs were able to officiate the game for some reason. So they pulled someone from the crowd to officiate the second half.
And that was just the beginning of the circus. Try to follow along:
The game was tied in the final minutes and a scrum called for St. Martin’s near their try zone. The St. Martin’s captain asked the referee how much time was left and was told “it’s over, this is the last play.”
St. Martin’s won the scrum and immediately kicked the ball out of play to end the game and head into extra time. The newly minted state championship referee, bless their heart for trying, blew the final whistle. End of regulation.
Or was it?
In a befuddling turn of events, the reviewing referee approached the field and declared “there’s five minutes left!”
Ok, game NOT over. Five more minutes to play.
When the game was nearly over - for the second time - St. Martin’s scrum half took the ball weak-side for a try. The ref indicated there was still some time on the clock so St. Martin’s kicker set up to take the points-after kick. But while he was preparing to kick, the referee ran under the goal posts and announced a penalty try (wait what?) and then blew the whistle 3 times to end the game..
The St. Martin’s boys decided enough was enough and stormed the field in celebration.
There was confusion aplenty, and although St. Martin’s walked away the victor, nobody felt good about it.
Eeeek. Not exactly the grand finale everyone expected. (C’mon Kansas get your ish together!)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fast forward a couple weeks to the nationals tournament in Indiana. When the brackets were filled and matchups were set, there it was, surprise surprise… St. Martin’s Academy vs. St. Thomas Aquinas…for the fourth time this season and the second time in two weeks. Woof.
St. Thomas Aquinas was able to get some retribution during this match, defeating St. Martin’s 28-14. But I’m guessing both sides were sick of seeing each other’s faces at this point.
So all of this leads up to the upcoming season: Who is going to take the throne in Kansas?
There’s plenty of time for this to shake out. Heck, most of the players are probably reading this from a silly swan floaty in their parents’ pool. But if I had to guess, I’d say we can expect some fireworks in the 2025 season between these two teams.
St. Martin’s still wants to prove that they’re the baddest thing to happen to Kansas since the dust bowl. And St. Thomas Aquinas wants to reclaim their place at the top of the hill. Both of them want to get the bad taste out of their mouth from the last state final.
Keep an eye on this matchup. And if you happen to attend one of their games, consider bringing a whistle and a stopwatch…just in case.
-Ipse, Chief Rioter