Warrior Rugby girls play for beloved seniors in their final match
COLUMBUS — Grace Smith’s tears early Sunday came when an opponent stepped on her fingers. The tears later were for the end of an era.
Smith still has another season with Warrior Rugby, but she did not want to say goodbye to her seniors. The season ended with a 30-0 loss to top-seeded Saint Joseph Academy in a Single School state semifinal at Fortress Obetz.
“It’s honestly heartbreaking because we have all been together for so long. It’s kind of hard to say without tearing up,” Smith said. “We all glued really well this year. We were better at the beginning of our season than we ever were last year.”
The Warrior Rugby girls were hoping to join the boys team in the state final. After a 63-7 victory against Shaker Heights on Saturday, the boys team plays for its third consecutive Division II Single School state championship against Withrow at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Fortress.
Playing the scrum half, Smith is the quarterback of sorts for Warrior Rugby. The team’s emotional leader was senior captain Makenna Swearingen.
Swearingen has been with the program since the beginning in 2016. Her fellow seniors — Alexandria Nickel, Abby Rudduck, Mia Pollmeier, Lydia Oyster and Ashley Koch — who played last their match Sunday have joined throughout the years to form a bond that showed in the moments following Sunday’s match.
“We got really close to (our seniors) the last three years, and it’s going to be very hard to not see (Swearingen) play and still lead the team,” junior Maddi VanHoose said. “It’s just a different environment. It’s my favorite thing I have ever chosen to do. I love the girls. I love having a big family.”
Warrior Rugby hung tough throughout the match, but Saint Joseph was methodical in building its lead. The Jaguars’ strength in the middle allowed them to win the majority of scrums, and they were disciplined on the outside to not let VanHoose and Chloe Hughes get the ball in space.
VanHoose early made a try-saving tackle and jarred the ball loose in the process. Saint Joseph scored its second try with just over a minute left in the half, and it took some steam out of the Warriors.
“They are just very organized. They are shifty, and their defense is good. They are bigger,” VanHoose said. “We just came up short and did not play to the best of our abilities. We did not use the advantages they gave to us with all of the penalties.”
Warrior Rugby showed resilience this season. In last week's quarterfinal, the Warriors trailed Mentor 19-5 at halftime before exploding for a 60-24 victory, which included VanHoose’s school-record eight tries.
The Warriors had success away from home. They enjoyed trips to northeast Ohio, winning matches at John Marshall, Brunswick and Massillon Perry during the regular season and are a team on the rise
“Especially with our growth, our middle school teams are huge. Our team has doubled in the last year with over 40 girls,” Smith said.
The Warriors will be on a mission to get into the final next season. Their core is led by Smith, VanHoose, Hughes, Bethany Cangelosi, Riley Eberhart and Emma Watkins.
A standard has been put in place.
“Our hearts and soul were into this game, so as soon as we lost, it was heartbreaking, but we are going to bring it back next year," Smith said. “We will get this. We are not holding back because we’ve wanted this for so long.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Warrior Rugby girls play for beloved seniors in their final match
