🔥Loyola Upsets Orange Lutheran📣

Loyola Stuns Orange Lutheran in a Gritty Defensive Battle

Loyola pulled off a big upset over Orange Lutheran (OLu) in a match that was physical, scrappy, and came down to the final seconds. OLu had their chances, but costly mistakes and Loyola’s relentless defense made the difference in a thrilling 27-26 Loyola victory.

Loyola Strikes First

Loyola opened the scoring with a penalty kick to go up 3-0. OLu had an opportunity to answer after a nice mid-field poach got them into the 22, but back-to-back sloppy lineouts squandered the chance. Loyola kept the pressure on, pinning OLu deep, forcing a turnover, and quickly capitalizing—one ruck, one push, one try. The conversion was good, and just like that, Loyola led 10-0.

From the start, Loyola’s Ronan O’Rourke kept testing OLu’s back three with well-placed kicks. OLu struggled on kick coverage, giving up field position and making mistakes at the worst possible times. Their frustration boiled over when a dangerous tackle earned an OLu player a yellow card, handing Loyola a penalty kick that stretched the lead to 13-0.

OLu finally got on the board thanks to their scrumhalf Noah Tuiolosega, who was doing a ton of work. He sent a perfectly weighted box kick that bounced into the try zone, where an OLu player grounded it for their first points. 13-7, with 11 minutes left in the half.

Then came a game-shifting moment. OLu broke free on a big run, and Loyola’s Cassius Grimes made a horse-collar tackle that earned him a yellow card. OLu capitalized immediately—after an intense goal-line stand, they powered through for a try (though the conversion missed). 13-12 Loyola.

With momentum shifting, OLu’s crafty Tuiolosega started picking Loyola apart with box kicks, and they cleaned up their kick coverage as the half went on. After a knock-on by Loyola near their own five-meter line, OLu swung it wide twice and punched in a controversial try—it looked like Loyola had poached the ball, but the ref saw it differently. Conversion good. 19-13 OLu at halftime.

Second Half

Loyola came out strong in the second half. Cassius Grimes broke off a huge run that set up a lineout and eventual try, as the forwards mauled their way over the line. O’Rourke nailed the tough conversion, giving Loyola the lead back 20-19.

Then came a massive defensive stand. OLu pounded away on the goal line for multiple phases, but Loyola’s defense held. A huge Loyola counter-ruck and not-releasing penalty by OLu bailed Loyola out.

OLu eventually broke through after a Loyola penalty deep in their own territory. A quick tap and a big forward crash made it 26-20 OLu.

But Loyola answered again. A kick for touch set up a lineout, a maul, and a hard-fought try. The conversion put Loyola back ahead 27-26.

Final Moments.

The second half turned into a grind, with neither team breaking through for a long stretch. Scrums dominated the game for a while, as both sides struggled to get clean ball.

Then, with time almost up, a wild series of events ensued.

OLu broke free on a long run, and Cassius Grimes made another tackle that the ref deemed dangerous (it looked fine from the camera view), earning his second yellow card. This set up a final chance for OLu just meters from the try line.

What followed was defensive beauty. Orange Lutheran smashed into the Loyola defense over and over, trying to crash through in the dying moments. Finally, they got across the line… but Loyola held the ball up.

Whistle blows. Game over. The Loyola bench storms the field in celebration.

Loyola survived an absolute battle and pulled off a massive 27-26 upset over Orange Lutheran.

Final Score: Loyola 27 — 26 Orange Lutheran

Final Thoughts

• This game had a bit of everything—momentum swings, huge defensive stands, and a wild ending. OLu’s scrumhalf, Noah Tuiolosega was outstanding, the Tonumaipea Bros rumbled, but Olu’s early mistakes and penalties put them in a hole. Loyola, on the other hand, capitalized on opportunities and played inspired, physical rugby.

• Loyola’s Cassius Grimes played his heart out—powerful runs, big defensive hits, he did it all. A couple yellow cards put a small blemish on an otherwise magnificent effort. He was a big reason Loyola was able to pull off the win. A couple more Loyola standouts were Sami Park and Ronan O’Rourke.

• A gritty, well-earned win for Loyola, and one of the best finishes we’ve seen this season.