🏆🏟️Nationals Roundup - Semis and Finals

Day 2—Semifinals

Club Bracket

Cardinals vs Belmont Shore

This one was a total war. Tied 3-3 at half, both teams traded penalties, bruising runs, and some truly jarring defense. Belmont’s big men battered their way over to go up 10-3, but Cardinals talisman Porter Kuebler answered with a quick tap try to tie it late. The knock-ons piled up, the minutes ticked by, and still—no separation. Overtime. Then kicks. Belmont couldn’t find the posts. The Cardinals hit three straight. Final whistle: Cardinals 13, Belmont 10. A heartbreaking result for Belmont Shore. Relief and jubilation for the Cardinals—finals bound.

Mustangs vs Cavemen

The Mustangs stormed out to a 17-0 lead, but the Cavemen clawed back to make it 17-12 by halftime. From there, it was all tempo and precision from the Mustangs. Will Schreck barreled through defenders, Spencer Huntley chipped a beauty that was caught in the try zone for a score, and Will Barrett set the tone in the forward pack. The Cavemen brought physicality, but penalties piled up and the Mustangs pounced on every chance. Final whistle: 36-17. Mustangs head to the final looking sharp.

School Bracket

La Salette vs St. Ignatius

Ignatius came out swinging—powerful carries, relentless goal line pressure, and a long-range score from winger Rafe Gabrovsek to jump ahead 19-0. But La Salette doesn’t know the word “quit.” La Salette’s Conner Hanlon jolted the crowd with a 60-meter solo try, and they added another after a grind-it-out series near the line. Still, Ignatius had too much firepower. Their physicality never let up, and they sealed it late for a 31-12 win. Credit to La Salette: gritty, disciplined, and all heart. This was a fun one to watch.

Herriman vs Xavier

A physical showdown from the jump. Herriman struck first, but Xavier battled back to tie it at 12-12 in the second half, then edged ahead with a penalty kick. Just when it looked like the Knights might hang on for the win, Herriman punched in a try to reclaim the lead—and then iced it with a clutch interception return. Final score: 26-15 Herriman. Big-time response from Herriman. Heartbreaker for Xavier.

Tier 2 Bracket

SOC Raptors vs TN Raptors

SOC came out swinging and never really let up. They dominated territory, played on the front foot, and delivered some thumping tackles that prevented the TN Raptors from establishing their rhythm. SOC’s 12, Caden Hartley, was a wrecking ball—consistently breaking the line and setting the tone. The TN Raptors had flashes but couldn’t string phases together or escape their own half. Jesse Torres (SOC fullback) tacked on a penalty to seal it, and SOC flew to a 24-5 win.

New Trier vs KC Jr. Blues

New Trier turned heads again in this one. After a tight start, they pulled ahead 10-3 at the break behind smart play from their flyhalf and a pinpoint kick to the corner for a diving try. The second half was more of the same: sharp decision-making, clinical execution, and a gritty forward pack that controlled possession. The Blues defended bravely but couldn’t crack New Trier’s defensive brick wall. Final: 18-3. Another statement win from a team that came in under the radar.

Day 3—Finals

Club Bracket

🏆Mustangs vs Cardinals

The clash we were anticipating—and it was a banger.

The Cardinals struck first after a goal-line grind, with Kai Campbell crashing over to make it 7-0. But the Mustangs answered just before the half. Spencer Huntley froze the defense with a cheeky look-off and rocketed it wide to Reese Reiter for a slick, untouched finish. Kick missed, 7-5 at the break.

Then came the second half—and Spencer Huntley took over the game. With Max Colson forced off with an injury for the Cardinals, the dynamic shifted. Huntley scored twice off dummies and clever footwork, converted both, made try-saving tackles, and led from the front in every phase. Dylan Trower handled the flyhalf duties with poise, and Reese Reiter was outstanding on both ends—attacking and saving tries.

The Cardinals had moments—Quinn Miller was a force on defense, Luke Zehmke broke the line more than once, Porter Kuebler was everywhere, and Kai Campbell was always in the thick of the action—but they couldn’t quite finish the job.

The Mustangs adjusted, supported their runners, and finished when it mattered most. Every Mustang player is worthy of a shout out. This group enjoyed a great regular season, and they saved the best for last—it was a full team effort. But Spencer Huntley was the best player on the field. He did captain stuff today.

Final score: 19-14. A well-earned first national title.

Congrats to the Mustangs! 🏆

School Bracket

🏆St. Ignatius vs Herriman

This one lived up to the hype too.

St. Ignatius opened the scoring with some backline magic—Mark French lofted a perfect cross-kick to Tommy Passerallo, who, mid-tackle, flung it to a looping Colin Spellacy for the try. Herriman responded in classic Utah fashion: hard carries, tight support, and a punch-in from their forwards to even it up. But right before halftime, Ignatius executed a textbook lineout and mauled it in to retake the lead.

The second half was all grit. Ignatius ground out another try with relentless forward phases to go up 17-5. Herriman’s winger Troy Ellermeier answered with a scorching solo run that cut it to 17-12, and suddenly it was anyone’s game. Then came the moment: Ignatius camped on Herriman’s goal line for what felt like hours—40 pick-and-goes—before opting for a penalty kick to go up 20-12. It was a grueling and heroic goal line stand.

Herriman, never out of it, scored one final try as the clock hit zero to make it 20-17. The conversion missed, but it ultimately didn’t matter. The clock ran out and the comeback fell just short.

An incredible final between two powerhouse programs. Herriman battled to the end, but St. Ignatius are your national champions. A hard fought and beautiful game of rugby.

Congrats to St. Ignatius! 🏆

Tier 2 Bracket

New Trier vs SOC Raptors🏆

The Tier 2 national championship had a wild start—and SOC took full advantage. After a back-and-forth opening that saw the teams tied 7-7, New Trier was dealt a brutal blow: two yellow cards in the first 12 minutes, including one to their captain, Salzar. Down to 13 men, New Trier couldn’t contain SOC’s firepower. The Raptors struck twice during the advantage—one off a silky Jesse Torres offload, another through brute force up the middle—and suddenly led by three tries.

From there, SOC controlled the game. Torres added a penalty kick and helped orchestrate another try to stretch the lead. New Trier never stopped scrapping, eventually crashing over late to make it 31-14, but the damage was already done.

Credit to New Trier—they came in as a 7-seed and knocked off some tough opponents to make the final. They play with incredible physicality, while still showing plenty of finesse when it’s required.

And massive respect to SOC, who weren’t even guaranteed a spot at Nationals after a tight loss to Belmont Shore in a play-in. The committee gave them a shot, and they ran with it—winning all three games convincingly. They leave Elkhart with the Tier 2 title, and a strong case they could’ve held their own in the top division too.

Congrats to SOC Raptors!🏆