Two very different state semifinal games out of Rugby PA.
Doylestown 47—0 Malvern Prep
Malvern came out swinging, controlling possession for much of the first half—but Doylestown's defense held firm. Every time Malvern threatened, they were repelled by solid defending. When Doylestown finally got their hands on the ball, they struck fast and clinical, leading 19–0 at half.
In the second half, the depth showed. Doylestown used all 25 players and stretched the lead even further with sharp execution and fresh legs.
Flyhalf Jamie Weir led the charge—scoring a try, nailing 6 of 7 conversions, and managing the game decisively. Tries came from Louie Cipollo, Liam Hoey (2), Jamie Weir, Bailey O'Malley, Timmy Fuhrmeister, and Davis Parisi.
Doylestown has been hot all season. Now they’ll ride this win into the state final.
Gregory the Great 23 — 20 St. Joe’s Prep
This one was a battle. St. Joe’s had an early chance to take the lead with a penalty but missed wide—and moments later went down to 14 men after a red card. Not ideal in a knockout game.
GGA capitalized with an electric first half. Prop Bruno Lefler rumbled in off a quick-tap, Jack Nolan slotted a penalty, and scrumhalf Seb Nies scored twice—one off a long snipe around the ruck—to give GGA a 20–3 halftime lead and all the momentum. It felt like this one might be headed for blowout territory.
But St. Joe’s didn’t fold.
They adjusted at halftime, kept ball in hand, and used their physical runners to grind away. Their second-half performance was gutsy and relentless as they powered in three hard-earned tries. St. Joe’s pulled within 23–20 with just minutes to go.
But on the restart, and with time nearly expired, GGA fullback Christopher Bateman recovered the kick and essentially sealed it. A few phases later the final whistle blew.
Gregory the Great survives, and we’ve got a showdown coming up:
Doylestown vs. Gregory the Great—State Final, May 18 at Penn State Berks.