The crowd stands up and cheers on as Jesuit Rangers make the final push on the field in order to emerge victorious from their last match of the week. The Jesuit Varsity Rugby team refused to rest on its laurels over spring break as they took on some of the toughest competition from all across the country (and even beyond its borders.) Facing Aurora, Colorado’s Regis Jesuit, Ontario’s St. Maximillian Kolbe Catholic High School, and nationally ranked No. 4 Colorado Springs High School, the Rangers had a lot on their plate to begin the annual Jesuit Shootout Tournament. However, confident in their game plan, they entered the tournament as focused and driven players.
Winning their matches 15-12, 50-7, and 22-0, respectively, the Rangers played their best rugby so far this year. Coach Mattachione stated, “To be honest I really didn’t coach. I told the guys that I trusted them and they coached themselves… They played the best rugby I’ve seen them play for the three or four years they have been together.” Firing on all cylinders, the players executed all facets of their game plan, performing at such a high level that they were able to practically lead themselves on the pitch.
Senior Chris Madonna echoed Mattachione’s thoughts, saying, “we’ve always been trying to create brotherhood within the team… the better you know your teammates the better you can play because the more you know what the guy next to you is going to do the more you can account for that,” citing bonding experiences like road trips and the pre-season boot camp as times when the players joined together to excel on the field. He explained that the close relationships in the program caused the great chemistry that resulted in the victories during the showdown.
Those closely-knit friendships played a crucial role in the victories over the break. Playing off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, players such as Captains Chris Madonna and Joey Nuchereno as well as Cole Wilson, Nick Pace, Christian Schoeberl, Roman Kimbrel, and Emmett Flood stood out during the tournament.
The Rangers look to use the momentum from these games to round out the season on a high note. Junior Dane Bender described that “Winning the annual Jesuit Showdown tournament was definitely a confidence booster for the remainder of our season because in our next 4 games we are defending our home turf… there is no win more valuable than one at home.”
