The Varsity XV traveled to New Orleans to take on long-time rival Brother Martin last Saturday and came away with a 98-0 victory! This marked the fourth largest point total ever scored by an Eagles team and was a very impressive way to start the season. It was a total team effort, with all members of the squad making contributions to the performance.
"I cannot remember a time recently when EVERY player performed this well in a match," said Coach Brett Mills. "There always seems to be at least one player who is off for a night, but this was truly amazing as all twenty-three guys did an exceptional job out there." The Eagles demonstrated their ability to score from anywhere on the field, but it was the forwards that seemed to be unstoppable. Coach Jim Wolfinger felt this was the key to the match, "Any time you can dominate a team so thoroughly at the breakdown and with your forwards in attack, you will win games," said Wolfinger.
The match was marked by a record-setting performance by Captain Josh Pane, who scored five tries. This tied the previously established mark set in 2007 by Patrick Gutowski. Pane was almost matched in the scoring by a stellar offensive performance by flanker Griffin Maat who gathered four on the day. Maat was also dominating in the lineouts which was a major factor in the Eagles set-piece success.
Flyhalf Riley Bishop had an amazing day as well - scoring 23 points on a try and 9-16 conversions. "Riley did an exceptional job kicking, especially when considering the field conditions, which were muddy and soft. Alot of times kickers have trouble with their plant foot, but Riley adjusted well. I look forward to seeing what he can do in better conditions," said Mills.
Flyhalf Riley Bishop on attack |
"Any time you come away with a victory is exceptional," said Wolfinger, "but getting on a bus and driving for almost seven hours and then putting up 98 points is beyond our expectations. We are extremely proud of the guys." The Eagles next match is Friday (02-04-16) at St. Pius. The match renews the intense Shepard rivalry and is the first conference game of the season.
Man of the Match Forwards
Josh Paine - Josh's five tries and defense effort were indicative of his best performance to date.
Man of the Match Backs
Riley Bishop - Riley demonstrated a great deal of maturity and leadership from the ten position and ended the day with a huge 23 point total.
No comments:
Post a Comment