Fairfield Prep 30 — 29 Staples

Fairfield Prep and Staples delivered one of the season’s most dramatic finishes, with Prep pulling off a 30-29 win thanks to a last-play penalty kick that sealed the deal as the final whistle blew.

The game was a seesaw battle with ties at 10 and 17, and Prep holding leads of 7-3, 17-10, and 27-17 before Staples surged late to take a 29-27 lead with only minutes remaining. But when the pressure mounted, Prep didn’t blink—senior Ben Conelius calmly slotted a clutch penalty to reclaim the lead, and a Staples kickoff into touch ended a thriller of a match.

Tight officiating and misfiring lineouts made for a choppy rhythm, but Prep adapted well, especially with a reshuffled backline. Senior Chase Wingate and junior Eli Gavrysh both made the most of their first starts—each crossing the line for a try. Mason Beardsworth added another, while Conelius went a perfect 3-for-3 on both conversions and penalty kicks.

Senior Tommy Perrotta made his presence felt with a standout defensive effort on the wing.

Prep showed real poise under pressure—and they'll be hoping this gritty win sets the tone for what’s ahead.

Rye (NY) 24 — 19 Greenwich (CT)

Rye continues their strong start to the season— but Greenwich kept it very close.

This match began with Rye controlling the scoring early—taking advantage of having the wind at their back and notching two tries to take an early 14-0 lead. But Greenwich showed their grit by countering with a converted try before halftime.

With the score at 14-7, and Greenwich now enjoying the wind advantage, the lads from Connecticut churned out two more tries and took a mid second half lead of 19-14. The momentum seemed to be in Greenwich’s hands.

But Rye wasn’t done. When Greenwich conceded a penalty in their own half, Rye pounced and dotted the ball in the corner, tying the score at 19 all.

It was tight and fierce right to the final minute. But Rye broke through to shift the lead, once again, in their favor 24-19.

Greenwich had one last chance to steal it at the death—but a knock-on ended the comeback bid.

⚔️This matchup seems to be entering “rivalry” territory between these two state neighbors.

Bottom Line: Rye is building an impressive resume in the early going this year. Greenwich has played them closest, and they appear to be rounding into form nicely as the CT season gets into full swing. Definitely two teams to watch as we head into the heart of April rugby.

Doylestown (PA) 57 — 14 Berks (PA)

Is Doylestown the team to beat in PA? It’s certainly looking like it.

Doylestown made the trip to Berks and wasted no time showing why they're one of the top sides in RugbyPA. From the opening whistle, it was all green and gold—clean execution, relentless pace, and a textbook display of fundamentals. By halftime, the Dragons were already up 38-0 and had all but iced the game.

The second half saw more of the same, with Doylestown stretching the lead to 57-0 before Berks broke through for a pair of late tries. Still, it was a dominant 57-14 win for the visitors, who now sit 4-0 in league play.

Try-scoring was a team affair—eight total, with Nick Miletto and Louie Cipollo each bagging a brace. Jamie Weir and Jackson Reilly split conversion duties, going a combined 6-for-8 off the tee.

The heartbeat of the squad was senior Bailey O’Malley, who opened the scoring with a slicing run and set the tone on both sides of the ball. His physicality at the breakdown and constant presence in the midfield earned him well-deserved Man of the Match honors.

Our takeaway: D-Town is back! It’s been a few years since Doylestown looked this dominant—but after beating the reigning state champs, Gregory the Great, and now dismantling Berks, their path to the number one seed in the state tourney looks increasingly straightforward. St. Joe’s Prep is still on the schedule, though—so that’s a game to circle.

Gonzaga (DC) 50 — 14 St. Edward (OH)

Fresh off their Italian tour and looking to bounce back from a pre-trip loss to the Charlotte Cardinals, Gonzaga returned home with a point to prove—and they made it loud and clear. The Eagles soared to a 50-14 win over St. Edward, shaking off any rust with a clinical first half that saw them jump to a 38-0 lead.

Tries came from all over the park, with Ethan Heim, Luke Jerro, Andrew Casteleyn, Sean Garayta, Dante Uptgrow, and Thomas Kelly all crossing the line. Conversion duties were handled by Axel Ries, who kept the scoreboard ticking throughout the day.

To their credit, St. Edward rallied in the second half and dotted down twice, showing grit and flashes of quality despite the uphill battle.

For Gonzaga, the timing couldn’t be better. They’ll head into this weekend’s Gonzaga Classic with momentum and plenty to build on.

SOC Raptors (CA) — SD Mustangs (CA)

The Raptors meant business, but the Mustangs have a LOT of firepower.

The Raptors jumped out early with two penalty kicks, capitalizing on Mustang infractions and keeping them pinned deep. For the first 15 minutes, they controlled the tempo—physical at the contact point, sharp on defense, and forcing mistakes. But once the Mustangs found their rhythm, the tide turned fast.

A penalty kick got the Mustangs on the board, and a converted try soon after flipped the scoreboard to 10-6. From there, the momentum belonged entirely to them.

These Mustangs are technicians. Once they adjusted to the ref’s whistle and got on the front foot, Spencer Huntley, James Curtis, and the rest of the crew took over. They moved upfield like a machine—dominating possession, applying pressure, and shrewdly picking their spots.

The lineout-to-maul game delivered as expected, but it was the gain-line-chewing runs from the forward pack that truly opened things up. Once the defense compressed, the backs went to work—precision kicking, crisp offloads, and clean finishes.

A slick kick from Huntley at the base of the ruck, perfectly timed for his winger at full pace, felt like the final nail in the coffin. From there, it was all Mustangs, as they cruised to a 48-point performance.

Our Takeaway: What makes this Mustang attack so dangerous is how many different angles they hit you from. They shift the point of attack constantly—and just when it seems like the defense is finding its rhythm, a shifty Huntley run, a booming Trower kick, or a perfectly timed backline move flips the field. Bottom line: there is no defensive rhythm when you play these guys. They don’t allow one.

More Western Happenings

Eastside (WA) is cruising at altitude these days. The defending state champs have been dominant again this season, most recently putting up a 73-0 win over the Panthers (WA). Credit to the Panthers—they’re in their first season as a D1 team and have held their own with a 2-3 record—but Eastside is still clearly the team to beat in Washington. Our only regret? That the highly anticipated matchup between Eastside and the SD Mustangs never materialized. That one had “instant classic” written all over it.

Sacramento Jesuit might be finding their groove. They followed up their win over Marin with a 29-17 victory against Motherlode, and it feels like momentum is starting to build. We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating—keep an eye on Jesuit. They’ve got the pieces, and they’re starting to click.

Granite Bay continues to roll. Their latest win, a 29-26 grind-it-out result over SFGG, marks their third tight victory in the past month decided by less than a try. That kind of grit in close games says a lot. This team knows how to finish—and that’s what wins titles.

St. Martin’s (KS) 12 — 10 St. Thomas Aquinas (KS)

Round one goes to Aquinas.

In a clash that’s quickly becoming one of the best rivalries in Kansas high school rugby, St. Thomas Aquinas edged out St. Martin’s 12-10 in a gritty, hard-fought matchup.

Conditions were brutal. Cold. Wet. Miserable. The kind of day where handling errors multiply and kicking becomes a survival skill. And Aquinas handled it just a little bit better.

St. Martin’s came into the match hoping to get things right after looking choppy the previous week vs La Salette (IL). But the Kingfishers couldn’t quite shake off a hungry Aquinas side that’s looking to reclaim the Kansas throne.

Both teams know each other inside and out, and it showed. The hits were heavy, the breakdowns brutal, and space was hard to come by. With that kind of familiarity, it’s no shock this was a tight one—but what was surprising was the low score. These are two squads that usually light it up.

If history holds, this won’t be their last meeting. Expect fireworks when round two arrives—probably with bigger stakes and (hopefully) better weather.

Here’s a clip of one of St. Thomas Aquinas’ tries:

St. Ignatius (OH) 64 — 14 St. Xavier (OH)

St. Ignatius has a habit of piling on second-half tries—and this one followed the script.

It was a convincing win for the Wildcats, but even with a 64-14 final, the coaching staff isn’t letting the scoreboard blur the focus. Head Coach Dan Arbeznik put it plainly: “We're still struggling to do some of the 'basics' well enough to be a championship-caliber team.”

St. Xavier started with the wind at their backs and used it well—controlling territory and striking off a 60-meter intercept and a sharp 8-man pick near the line. Ignatius, meanwhile, dealt with a few self-inflicted wounds that stalled momentum and ceded field position.

Still, the Wildcats took a 28-14 lead into the half—and then completely shut things down. They tacked on 36 unanswered points in the second, showing off their physicality, opportunism, and impressive athleticism.

Our Takeaway: Ignatius looks like a team built for a deep nationals run—but they also feel like a collection of all-star athletes who sometimes get a little too loose. When they’re firing, they’re nearly unstoppable. But that next-level polish—structure, discipline, decision-making under pressure—is what could make them the team nobody wants to draw in a few weeks. Their upcoming matchup with Xavier (NY) should tell us a lot.

Woodlands (TX) 57 — 0 Spartans (TX)

After a tough outing at the Friendship Cup and still battling a wave of injuries, Woodlands found their form again with a commanding 57-0 win over a solid Spartans side. The Woodlands boys looked sharp from the outset—physical at the breakdown, clinical with ball in hand, and anchored by a defense that didn’t give an inch.

Elijah Capiro was unstoppable, touching down for four tries, while Neel Menon steered the backline with his usual composure and class. Up front, the trio of Erben Birkhoff, Orin Hart, and Aiden Ventura laid down a physical marker that set the tone for the match.

Still missing three starting backs and a key forward, Woodlands used the opportunity to test their depth. By the final whistle, a full sophomore pack and a young backline had taken over—and looked right at home. Two backs earned their first caps, and one forward made his debut with the first team.

Our takeaway: Woodlands is already good, but with so many youngsters getting playing time, imagine how good they’ll be when a few of their banged up veterans come back… talk about having ridiculous depth. These guys might look back at the Friendship Cup and say “yep, that’s what prepped us for nationals.”

Other Southern Happenings

Key Biscayne shut out Boca Raton 20-0 to continue their unbeaten streak in Florida. They continue to look sharp on both sides of the ball—and with a potential rematch against Okapi looming, things could get very interesting down the stretch.

Speaking of Okapi, they cruised past Tampa 38-0 over the weekend. Their lone blemish remains that early-season loss to Key Biscayne, but it’s clear this squad has leveled up since that February meeting. A rematch between those two now would look very different.

Brother Martin followed up last week’s road win in Tennessee with a commanding 57-0 victory over Hammond. Brother Martin has only lost one game—to Jesuit New Orleans.

Jesuit New Orleans responded to their close loss to Strake Jesuit with a dominant 55-7 showing against St. Paul (LA). They’re another team we’re tracking closely as we get into playoff season.