Naperville 1 is now iYRA Middle School #1
By Phil Gautschy
It was one of those games that it was difficult to see anyone lose.
The Naperville Crusaders I team and the West Suburban Barbarians each gave it their all as they battled for the Illinois Youth Rugby Association Middle School State Championship Saturday morning at the Chicago Blaze rugby complex in Lemont.
After battling to a 7-7 tie in the first half, the Crusaders got the only try of the second half for the 12-7 victory and the title.
“It is a game that could have gone either way,” West Suburban coach Phil Clarke said. “A couple of times we spilled the ball when we were right on the line and could have scored. A couple of times they could have scored. They got the extra try and put us on the hump. That was it.”
Each team had its share of chances in the first half. The Barbarians drove deep into Crusader territory several times. They finally converted a try to get on the scoreboard first. Naperville then came right back to tie it up.
In the second half, the game was played more in the middle of the field, with neither team able to get much offense going. Late in the game, Naperville got the decisive touch just inside the right sideline.
“It was really tense, but we pulled through in the second half,” Naperville fly-half and team captain Bernie Laskowki said.
The game was the first iYRA championship match at the middle school level. On Championship Day in 2009, the Arlington Stallions played a combined team made up of players from other iYRA teams.
“It’s hard to have a loser in this game,” Naperville coach Graeme Jackson said. “I think it was the passion, we just outworked them. And the game plan worked. Our game plan was to push it down into the corners. We seemed to be winning the line outs.”
The win was especially impressive for Naperville Youth Rugby because of the way it set up its middle school program this year. Due to a large turnout of 40 players, which included 19 eighth graders, the Crusaders divided their talent equally among two squads. Naperville also switches positions at halftime to further the experience and development of its players.
For West Suburban, the title game appearance represented a tremendous advance for the program in only its second year of rugby. In their first year they were winless. They were undefeated coming into the championship game.
“It is tough for 13- and 14-year-olds to realize that they played a great game,” Clarke said. “They really played great and I am proud of them."
