Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) won its 13th Wisconsin state championship Sunday, defeating 2015 titleholder Catholic Memorial High 18-15 under the lights. The trophy had lived in Milwaukee for 12-straight years before the Crusaders won last year’s championship.
“There was a totally different feel on the field this year for the final since we were trying to get the state title, not defend it,” explained DSHA co-captain Genevieve Ruesch. “It’s such a different mentality when you’re trying to go and take something rather than holding onto it. You have to play with a chip on your shoulder in a game like this and play to prove yourself.”
Jackie Jarosz’s first of two penalties gave the Dashers the opening lead. Her second three-pointer ended up being the difference on the scoreboard. Catholic Memorial tied it up with a Kate Chapman penalty, and then senior scrumhalf Ruesch set up junior Grace Hilbert for the game’s first try. Before the break, sophomore Maggie Leffler dotted down, and Jarosz’s conversion gave DSHA a 15-3 lead at halftime.
The Crusaders opened the second half with a try from Harvard commit Erin Wright (15-8), and then added a second try from Allison Koenig and conversion from Chapman with approximately 10 minutes remaining. Jarosz split those tries with a penalty for the 18-15 scoreline.
“I thought we all stayed pretty collected during the game even when [Catholic Memorial] was on our heels,” Ruesch reflected. “The seniors on the field definitely rallied the team and made sure we were sticking to our goal to finish the game with a win. Even though she wasn’t on the field with us this game, senior Tara Sweeney makes a huge difference in keeping everyone focused and calm during the game.”
Ruesch, Sweeney, Sarah Clarke and Danielle Macpherson are the captains, and they’re charged with setting the example for two full squads (the JV team competes as a separate entity).
“When you have a team with 50+ players, there are huge opportunities to find role models and be one yourself,” the scrumhalf commented. “For me personally, I can look at any girl on the team for motivation because it’s so evident, whether she’s in a game, running sprints, or doing a workout, that she’s all-in and ready to put in the work for our goals.
“ … [W]e’re so fortunate to have a larger team because not only can younger girls learn the game through experience, but we also have a diversified group of players ready to step up if need be,” Ruesch added. “We brought a lot of strong, experienced players to the team this year but some new talent as well. Freshman Jackie Jarosz has brought a great talent to our team as a strong runner and kicker, and sophomore Maggie Leffler always makes a huge impact.”
The Crusaders pummeled the DSHA defense, but the Dashers held on for the three-point win and state title.
“[Catholic Memorial] always presents a challenge for us because of how hard they work,” Ruesch lauded. “In the final, they definitely made us work on defense. They moved the ball around the field really well and took advantage of some of the gaps we had. We just try to run our system, be smart in our decision-making, and rely on our skills and fitness. Fitness is always a big deal for us because it’s so instrumental in allowing us to be our best.”
The state 15s league has now concluded, but the spring will see these top squads compete at the Midwest Championship and eventually single-school nationals. But for now, the Dashers are going to enjoy welcoming that state trophy back home.
“This game was a really great way to end my final fall season,” Ruesch confessed. “I love playing for DSHA so much because of the family I found with them, in my teammates and our coaches. I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to surround me.”