Greenwich (CT) 14 — 10 Staples (CT)

Greenwich kicked off their season with a hard-fought 14-10 win over Staples, earning a trip to Nationals this May in the process.

The Greenwich boys leaned on a disciplined defensive performance, keeping constant pressure on Staples and allowing just one try. Max Shaw and Henry Wahl each crossed the line for Greenwich, while Benja Gonzalez-Lobo nailed both conversions to make the most of the scoring chances.

For an opening match, it was a composed and determined showing from a squad with big goals this spring.

Greenwich faces off against Xavier (NY) next—a challenging match for anybody these days, and a litmus test for the Greenwich lads.

Xavier (NY) 48 — 7 Fordham Prep (NY)

Xavier took care of business against Fordham Prep, securing a 48–7 win at the windy Aviator Sports Complex.

Things were shaky early—some misfires, a Fordham breakaway try—but the Knights settled in and let their forward pack take over. Nicholas Son punched in three tries and earned Man of the Match honors, while Rob Milacci added two of his own. For the full writeup from the sideline, check out Michael LiVigni’s article here.

Next up: Xavier keeps on rolling—but a match with Greenwich looms this Friday. Can Greenwich slow Xavier’s momentum, or will the Knights continue knocking off strong teams? Stay tuned.

Christian Brothers (NJ) 72 — 10 Bridgewater (NJ)

CBA was missing several key players, including senior lock Sam Santos, and took another early blow when leading try-scorer Van Jones went down with an ankle injury just three minutes in. But even at less than full strength, the Colts never lost their stride—storming to a 72-10 win over Bridgewater in front of the home crowd.

Once they settled in, CBA’s attack flowed. Tries came from Fionn Moroney, Sebastian Pepe, Danny Mailley, and Jordan Young before halftime, with Moroney adding four conversions to make it 43-0 at the break.

The second half brought more of the same. Keegan O’Conner, CBA’s eight-man and captain, powered in four tries and earned Man of the Match honors—the guy was making plays all over the field. Moroney, Declan O’Grady, Ronan O’Grady, and Tommy Heyward each added one more, with conversions from Moroney and Ronan to cap it off.

A complete performance—and a big message: even banged up, this CBA team is dangerous.

Fairfield Prep (CT) 57 — 13 Pelham HS (NY)

Fairfield Prep delivered a well-rounded performance against a Pelham side known for their kicking game, pairing their trademark physicality with sharp decision-making and a revitalized kicking strategy of their own. The return of junior flyhalf Ben Conelius proved pivotal—his tactical boots consistently flipped field position and gave Prep the territory advantage.

The attack was balanced and unselfish, with eight different players getting on the scoreboard:

Try scorers:

• Cole Westerlund (2)

• Alex Iadarola

• John Morris

• Anthony Dorsi

• Mason Beardsworth

• Jeremy Benton

• Bowie Kohler

• Billy Mitchell

Kicking:

• Ben Conelius: 5/8 on conversions

• Joey Coelho: 1/1 on conversions

Prep’s ability to stretch the field and play into structure was on full display, marking a big step forward in their season.

Fairfield is gearing up for the Jesuit Tournament next weekend—they’ll face some solid squads there.

SD Mustangs (CA) 29 — 5 Belmont Shore (CA)

We did a writeup on this one, which you can read here.

Bottom line: The Mustangs are the real deal. They have the skill to damage the scoreboard, and the fortitude to hold physical teams like Belmont in check.

Here’s a photo from the game! 👇

Sacramento Jesuit (CA) 24 — 29 Danville (CA)

Man… Sacramento Jesuit can’t seem to catch a break these days. This is their second loss by a try or less in two weeks—both against very strong competition.

Danville is a beast, we already knew that—they’re sporting a 5-0 record to prove it. But Jesuit is a seriously talented team as well. They just can’t quite seem to pull off a close win right now.

That being said, I don’t think anybody will want to play Jesuit in another month—they’ve been through the fire, and they’re battle tested. If they can stay healthy—and maybe have a few younger players step up—they can be the kind of team that goes on a tear in the final chapter of the season.

We’ve seen the film—and we’re betting Jesuit makes a splash over the next six weeks.

You heard it here first, folks.

Up next: Danville plays Granite Bay this week—that should be a thriller. Jesuit faces off against Marin, another tough matchup.

Bishop Dwenger (IN) 49 — 17 Mudsock (IN)

Despite falling 5-0 in the opening minute, Bishop Dwenger was able to regroup and launch a salvo of attacking moves to put up 22 points before halftime.

Head Coach Taylor Serres said his boys did a great job of “returning to neutral and focusing—not getting too high or too low on the swings of the game.”

Try scorers included: Nick Tippman, Alex McCarthy, Noah Hughes (2), Jordan Fabini, Isaac Moga, Doug Henry (2), and Gus Tippman. Henry and Hughes both found the try zone twice, capping off standout performances.

Coach Serres noted that they need to clean up their kicking game—they only slotted two out of nine conversions. Today it didn’t hurt them, but that can be the difference against a stronger opponent.

Bishop Dwenger fields a young squad, with only three seniors on the starting 15. A bevy of juniors and sophomores lead their team, and the results have been great so far this season: They’re 5-0 and have beaten some solid teams in the process.

Notable: The Bishop Dwenger backline is made up entirely of juniors. These guys have been playing together since middle school and have excellent chemistry.

Players to watch:
Drew Stauffer — Senior, Captain — Prop — Excellent Leader
Alex McCarthy — Junior, Captain — Winger — Experienced Playmaker
Doug Henry — Junior — A versatile back who plays multiple positions — 8 tries so far this season.

On the horizon: After spring break, the Bishop Dwenger lads face off against Pendleton, their toughest opponent on the schedule so far. While that’s a big one, their biggest goal of the season is to make a run for the state title this spring.

Cavemen (UT) 76 — 12 Highland (UT)

The Cavemen—they’re hunting, as they like to say.

Off to a hot 4-0 start, The Cavemen have dispatched several teams with impressive scores. (see: 93-10 & 76-12) 👀

Highland is the latest foe to fall at the hands of the Cavemen, and while they may not be the Highland squad of yesteryear, they are still an organized unit that can give good teams trouble.

Our takeaway: The Cavemen are crushing their opponents with regularity, but they haven’t played many top clubs yet. This weekend at the Friendship Cup they will come up against rock-solid teams like the Charlotte Cardinals, The Woodlands, and Raptor Rugby.

Will they be the hunters or the hunted? We can’t wait to find out.

Woodlands (TX) — Barbarians (TX)

Woodlands got exactly what they’d been asking for—a real challenge—and the Barbarians delivered. In windy conditions, it was a physical game that demanded grit and composure. Woodlands answered with a 26-5 win, their closest and toughest result of the season so far.

The Barbarians dominated early territory with the wind at their backs, but it was Woodlands who landed the first blow—Anthony Ventura punched in the opening try, converted by Ilen Menon. A yellow card to the Barbarians gave Woodlands the edge, and Eli Caprio capitalized to make it 12-0 at halftime.

The Barbarians came out red hot in the second half, closing the gap to 12-5, but Ilen Menon flipped the momentum with a perfect 50/22 that set up a crucial try from Neel Menon. Neel iced it with another try in the final minutes.

Woodlands Head Coach Werner Marx acknowledged the team’s discipline and possession issues, noting they’ll be a focus in training this week. Still, he praised the boys’ defense and ability to come up with big plays when it mattered most, which proved the difference in a physical matchup.

Next up for Woodlands: The Friendship Cup in Knoxville, TN—where heavyweight matchups await.

Next up for the Barbarians: St. Thomas Houston, who just lost a pretty close one to Strake Jesuit over the weekend.

Strake Jesuit 20 — 6 St. Thomas Houston

These two teams were cruising towards each other for several weeks.

Both were putting together solid seasons and knocking off the same opponents along the way. Strake’s only blemish was a 63-3 gut check against Woodlands, while St. Thomas came in riding high after edging Dallas Jesuit 27-26 in a nail biter.

But in a highly physical match, Strake pulled away from St. Thomas 20-6, and improved their record to 4-1. By all accounts, it was a technical display by the Strake lads, as they depended on crafty kicking and disciplined defense to take home the win.

Next up: Strake has a tough two weeks ahead, with matches against Jesuit New Orleans and Lake Travis. St. Thomas has a very tough outing coming up against the Barbarians—that’s this Friday.

Several American Teams are showing well abroad.

There may be more, but here are three U.S. high school boys teams currently—or recently—touring overseas.

• St. Thomas Aquinas (KS) just wrapped up an Ireland tour, and it looks like they had a very successful time. The Saints defeated a couple Irish opponents, including Tullamore and Portlaoise, and they were treated to traditional Irish weather too (rain and mud).

• Gonzaga (DC) is currently on tour in Italy, and they look like they’re having a blast; whitewater rafting, training under the lights, matchups with Italian teams, bucket-loads of pasta (we assume)— the works baby!

• St. Ignatius (OH) is in Spain right now, and they just secured a victory over Real Ciencias, a Sevilla-based team. The score was 19-12 and Ignatius Coach Dan Arbeznik said “We had a lot of chances to put them away but struggled to finish. A big credit to our Spanish counterparts. They had great line speed and attacked well, holding possession for long stretches.”