⚔️Xavier Defeats Gonzaga In East Coast Clash

“What a game. It was all over the place,” said Max Wyckoff, Xavier’s senior captain and inside center, as he described the 70-minute battle between the two high school rugby powerhouses. “There were ups and downs throughout the game. But we fought back,” Wyckoff said. 

From the opening whistle, the match was intense, with the Xavier squad uncharacteristically nervous as they met a determined Gonzaga offense. The Knights struggled in the opening minutes, and according to senior scrumhalf William Scariano, the team couldn’t seem to get its footing. “We came into the game nervous and let that first try in,” Scariano said regarding Gonzaga’s first score only a minute into the match, “but we went to the huddle and said, ‘Boys, it was nerves, so let it go.’” Wycoff noted that the ability to recenter themselves has been the team’s most significant asset all season. “We all calmed down and cleared our heads,” he said, and added that “we had to get those first-minute jitters out.” It seemed exorcising the jitters worked, as the Knight’s senior outside center Conor Gangemi took to the edge for a try only minutes after Gonzaga’s first score.

Senior lock Nicholas Adelaine and “man of the match” said that the Knights knew Gonzaga would be tough, but Xavier made too many mistakes in the first half. “We got scored on in the beginning because we didn't communicate. They tested our defense with their hard lines, and those hard lines were deadly. But that forced us to commit to our tackles and fight back.” 

The match see-sawed between the two teams for the entire game. With the score tied 7-7 in the closing minutes of the half, the Knights were determined to capture the lead. But they had been in the Gonzaga green zone seven times and only managed the one try. Thanks to the foot of senior fullback Edward Marquez-Miles Xavier took the lead with two penalty goals in the waning minutes of the half leaving the score 13-7.

The opening minutes of the second half were a stalemate, but Gonzaga punched in a second try around the 41-minute mark and a third a few minutes later giving the Eagles the lead. 

According to Scariano, this was a turning point for Xavier. “They put a score in on us, and we all stayed quiet in the huddle. We decided then to give everything we had for the next 20 minutes. We realized as a team we could win if we put it all together for those last 20 minutes. So we started attacking, attacking, attacking. We didn't give them anything.” 

That refusal to quit turned into three Xavier scores, the first a try by junior flanker Liam Averill, the second a third penalty goal by Marquez-Miles, whose boot was perfect on the day. The penalty goal put the Knights in the lead, while Scariano sealed the deal with a last-minute try at the 74-minute mark, making the final Xavier 30, Gonzaga 21. 

Head Coach Greg Norris embraced the win and said this Xavier team differed in their focus. “The Xavier - Gonzaga Rivalry has always been close since 2010, and apart from a 10 - 10 draw in 2014, the win has often happened in the latter stages of the game by Gonzaga. This time, the tables were turned, but not without a fight. This particular group of Xavier rugby players has something different. They don’t give up; this lesson was learned on tour and for much of the season. They realized that there is no giving up and that the attitude you bring when you get back up to fight again will determine the outcome of that fight.” 

Backs coach Eamonn Matthews agreed. “I’m incredibly proud of our boys for their resilience in a back-and-forth game and ability to settle in and calm their nerves. The backs had a smart selection for scrum strike choices, and the forwards were physical for 70 minutes. We’re excited to use the lessons learned in this game as we head into the last part of our season.”

Xavier will play bowl game this weekend against Rye High School to determine seeding for the New York State Championship, but the team has its eye on the ultimate goal of the season: the National Championship where they will head into the tournament as the #2 seed. Team captain Max Wyckoff says his team will continue to remain focused on that tournament, even as they prepare for states.

-By Michael LiVigni