Jesuit Rugby hosted Eagle Mountain from Fort Worth on the 17th of February and Round Rock Rugby on the 24th. After traveling away from home for two sequential victories, the Rangers played Eagle Mountain and Round Rock at home for a nail-biting loss and a triumphant victory against Round Rock. The rugby team lost 36-43 against Eagle Mountain and won 38-19 against Round Rock.
The rugby team came into these games with a 2-1 record after a close loss to Allen, a victory over Lake Travis, and another victory over St. Thomas, the latter bringing home the Bishop’s Cup. While the varsity team had major success, the JV team walked into these two games with a 0-3 record, hoping to annihilate their competitors.
Eagle Mountain (L 36-43)
The JV team set the stage for the varsity with a huge 41-5 victory, but the varsity team failed to emulate their younger teammates.
The Rangers started out strong with three tries to up the score to 22-0 by seniors Alex Bryan, Chris Bryan, and Alex Kowalske, raising the hopes high.
At halftime, the momentum slowed down as Eagle Mountain scored two quick tries to settle the score to 22-14, but the Rangers answered back with two outstanding tries by junior Jacob Jowdy to boost the score to 36-14.
Turning the momentum, Eagle Mountain ended the game by scoring three more tries to make the final score 36-43.
The Rangers struggled to hold their lead over Eagle Mountain and lost their advantage, but they learned to continue their drive. As senior captain Paris Brown put it, “We learned to keep our foot on the gas, fight till the bubbles stop.”
Round Rock (W 38-19)
Once again, the JV team showed up big for the game, scoring an unanswered three tries to set the score of 21-0.
The Rangers pedaled hard to achieve success over Round Rock as they were neck and neck up to the half time.
After some well needed halftime adjustments, the Rangers shut them out and went on to win 38-19.
The Rangers learned from their mistakes from the game against Eagle Mountain and pushed hard until the end.
“We pounded the ball relentlessly and then went wide to score while coming up hard on defense to neutralize their attack,” says Brown.
With a victory in the books, the Rangers are optimistic about the future of the team and the upcoming game against Jesuit New Orleans, as they travel away from home once again, hoping to repeat their success on enemy turf.
The team is becoming more experienced with each game and practice, emphasizing the fundamentals of the game and conjuring up team chemistry.
Brown confidently states: “A rugby game is 70 minutes, and if we play good Jesuit rugby for those 70 minutes, we can beat anyone and win state.”
Stay tuned to the Roundup for more information about the Jesuit Rugby team!
Photography by Austin Aiken ’19
