BEVERLY — The Belmont girls’ rugby team rode a 12-point second half to a 17-14 win over Algonquin Regional in the inaugural MIAA Division 1 state championship game on Saturday afternoon at Endicott College.
After Algonquin (2-2-1) possessed the ball for the majority of the first half – scoring both of their 5-point tries and 2-point conversions —the Marauders (4-0-1) struck for 17 straight points. The game-winning try came with 16 minutes left in the match: junior Rachel Iler-Keniston drove across the line from a few meters.
“They got more aggressive,’’ said Belmont coach Kathryn McCabe of her team’s approach in the second half. “On offense, calling and communicating where the next play was going to be, they listened to each other, [and] they talked about what they saw coming.’’
The Marauders, who were on the defensive for almost the entire first half, finally broke through late. Sophomore Gabriella Viale put the Marauders on the board with a run into Algonquin territory and into the try zone.
Belmont opened the second half with momentum, maintaining possession through the first 10 minutes. The pressure paid off with a Georgia Parsons try with 26 minutes remaining. However, a failed conversion left the Marauders trailing, 12-10. But their continued domination resulted in the winning score.
“They really never give up,’’ McCabe said of her team. “At the halftime I asked what we needed to work on, they knew exactly what they weren’t doing right, and they knew exactly how to fix it.’’
Division 1 boys
BC High 60, St. John’s Prep19 — The Eagles controlled the match from the opening kick to the final whistle, closing the game with a 35-7 run for the D1 championship at Endicott.
“We were just preaching defensively to stay spread, match up with their forwards, and take space away,’’ said BC High coach Paul Carty. “Just pressure them defensively.’’
BC High (6-0) seized a 5-0 lead five minutes in and pumped 20 more points past Prep (5-2) before halftime.
Senior Patrick LaCourt doubled the BC High lead following a blocked St. John’s kick attempt deep in Prep territory. A pair of pick-and-goes from senior forward Chris Troiano and senior scrum-half Alex Richards added to the BC High lead in the opening frame, as did a long try-run by senior Ryan Connolly.
St. John’s managed to find the try zone before the first half ended. After being blocked several times on the try line, a flock of Prep Eagles pushed forward, putting SJP on the board for the first time and cutting the deficit to 25-5.
A yellow card assessed early in the second half put Prep on the man advantage. Sophomore Russell Rinklin managed to twist and turn his way into the try zone with 23 minutes remaining, cutting the deficit to 25-12 after the conversion.
But the Prep rally was short-lived. BC High responded with tries from senior Joe Dargonand junior Robert Lester to put the game out of reach. Richards later added his second try of the game. Prep’s only other score came off of a Cameron Weaver try.
“They’re apart of something that only they will ever know what went into it,’’ BC coach Paul Carty said of his squad. “For them, to cap it off like this is only fitting.’’
Division 2 boys
Hanover 29, Milton 20 — The Indians trailed or were tied with Milton for the first 66 minutes of the championship game at Endicott. But in a fashion that has come to define their season, Hanover stayed within striking distance before converting a pair of tries (5 points each) in the final four minutes to capture the title.
Hanover (4-3-1) had maintained possession for the majority of the second half. Finally, junior wing Matthew Prado took the ball and darted the final few meters down the sideline and into the try zone.
“Our scrum half took the ball in . . . I grabbed the ball, and just went right up through that hole,’’ said Prado. The strike came with Hanover captain Jeffrey Wheeler out of the game with a yellow card.
With Hanover trailing, 17-7, with five minutes left in the first half, Wheeler tore loose from the Wildcat defense and charged into the try zone for the score, closing the deficit to 17-14, with the two-point conversion.
After a Milton penalty conversion pushed the deficit to six, Hanover began its offensive onslaught. The Indians found the try zone on junior Rian Boutin’s pick-and-go, but a missed conversion left the deficit at one, 20-19, with 11 minutes remaining.
Hanover continued to pressure before Prado broke through.
“You just can’t ever write these guys off, ever. It’s just a special bunch of kids,’’ said Hanover coach Andrew McLean.
“You just have to persevere.’’
Senior Samson Yuan scored twice for Milton (6-2) on a pair of double switches. Mark Barry scored the Indians’ opening try. Boutin also struck for a backbreaking try as time expired.
