Rugby Takes Undefeated

RUGBY TAKES UNDEFEATED STATE TITLE

In a season marked by victories against defending champions from two different states, the 2022 Jesuit rugby team clinched another Louisiana state title. Under the leadership of veteran head coach Adam Massey, assistant coaches Wes Eustis ’99, Jeff

Reuther ’99, Saade Bou-

Mikael ’04, Matt Oertling ’00, and NOLA Gold Pro-players Holden

Yungert and Eric Howard, the team came away from the season with an undefeated 9-0-1 record.

In January, expectations for the Blue Jays’ first game in New Orleans were high as the Jays were coming off a resounding out-of-state victory in Dallas against defending Texas state champions, the Jesuit Dallas Rangers. At the time, the Rangers were ranked 16th in the nation. The Blue Jays’ victory reverberated throughout the national rugby press and propelled Jesuit to be ranked 11th in the United States. The team subsequently bested Brother Martin in a trying home opener, foreshadowing the state

championship matchup and sending a message that the preseason rankings were no fluke.

After facing down opponents including Strake Jesuit from Houston and St. Paul’s from Covington, the team found itself playing against the Crusaders again in March. Two late tries from junior halfback Matt Cashio and prop Christian Jackson enabled the Jays to turn a 21-19 closecall into a comfortable 35-19 victory, but the meeting of these two crosstown rivals was not to be the last for the season.

Battling to an 8-0-1 record and a ranking of 15th in the nation in the post-season, the team knew that its gritty but successful season needed a spectacular conclusion. Blue Jay senior outside center Nick Ferina, the team’s captain, pointed to the 2007 New England Patriots: “Everyone remembers them for being the ‘undefeated’ team that lost the Super Bowl. That won’t be us.”

Indeed, the season was to conclude with yet another showdown with the Crusaders. After battling to a score of 19-5 following a series of pick-and-goes and a try from flanker Quinn Amedee, Brother Martin pushed back with two tries in a row to come within two points. Jesuit prop Joe Barnett powered through the defense in response to make it 26-17, and with exceptionally fast service from Cashio and a rocket ball to Jesuit junior flyhalf Andrew Newell, the championship match ended with the Blue Jays racking up 33 points and giving up only 17. In a tradition in which teams recognize the outstanding performance of a member of the opposing team, Newell was awarded man-of-the-match by Brother Martin.

While the championship game’s final score and the team’s season record both testify to the Blue Jays’ unassailable athletic and technical prowess, the real highlights of the season were the tenacity and perseverance of the squad’s players and coaches.

“It’s a long season,” Massey told Nola.com. “These guys put in a tremendous amount of effort, and there’s been tremendous support from Jesuit and the parents. This is the net result of many people helping and pitching in. This was genuinely a team effort from everyone who helped make this happen.” 