The DSHA defense stood out. /// Photos: Jackie Finlan
Typically, a conversation with a freshman competing at high school nationals revolves orienting oneself in a new environment. Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) flyhalf Jackie Jarosz was one of many first-timers competing at last weekend’s nationals, but both her on-field poise and familiarity with the Dashers’ storied past belied her youth. The MVP played a big role in helping DSHA to the 2017 Girls’ Single-School National Championship, and she did so with an eye on the previous eight years.
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DSHA was the national champion from 2004-09. USA Rugby took over the tournament in 2010 for three years, and that’s when the Fallbrook vs. Sacramento rivalry emerged. The Amazons won in 2010, and then Fallbrook took the next five titles through 2015. The competition separated into single-school and club in 2016, and St. Joseph was crowned single-school champion last year.
Since 2009, DSHA has remained a title contender and consistently finished third at nationals. After this year’s Midwest championship, which DSHA claimed with three shutouts, there was a notion of separation from its regional competitors. The Dashers were fit, the defense solid, and the energy positive heading into nationals. Could this be the year?
“We started from the beginning of year and put our whole minds and bodies into this. We’ve been working toward this from the second we started the season,” Jarosz spoke to the team mentality in Elkhart, Ind., last weekend.
The campaign began against McMinn Tribe. The Tennessee team came out firing in the quarterfinals and held onto early possession. But DSHA proved that it could quickly turn an error into opportunity and showcased long, skillful passes and excellent speed. Jarosz deployed those dangerous backs and was a great threat herself. Her soccer background also aided her territorial game.
“It was intimidating at first but my coaches helped me and taught me everything I needed to know to get here,” the freshman said of filling an important position as a first-year on a storied team.
“We definitely had a challenge right from the start,” Jarosz said of McMinn. “They performed well and put up a fight, but we stepped up and accepted the challenge.”
DSHA won 27-12 and then faced nationals first-timers Orchard Park in the semifinals. The New York team had defeated Warsaw 52-7 in the quarterfinals but couldn’t contain the Wisconsin team’s fast-moving offense. DSHA opened it up to the tune of a 41-5 win and berth to the final.
The berth alone was a milestone – it was the first time DSHA reached a national final this decade. Standing in the way of one more milestone was Kahuku, the young Hawaiian state champion looking to claim some firsts of its own. Kahuku defeated St. Joseph 22-0 in the quarterfinals and Catholic Memorial 17-5 in the semifinals. The Dashers knew a physical fight awaited and the team readied itself.
“I just knew the moment we stepped on the field that we weren’t going to accept anything less than national champion,” Jarosz countered the notion of nerves.
The freshman slotted a penalty early in the final for a 3-0 lead that would hold for the majority of the game. Most of the first half was played deep in Kahuku’s end, and DSHA had several opportunities to score a try. But a generally scrappy game punctuated by handling errors and many stoppages prevented a score.
It was more of the same in the second half, except this time it was Kahuku that launched a sustained offensive at DSHA’s line. The Hawaiian side kept the ball in tight, attempting to run the smaller DSHA side over, but the defense was inspired. The Dashers’ pressure, plus some inexperience from Kahuku, saw no points produced after several held-up tries.
“[Those goal line stances] were very nerve-racking but we knew this was the final chance to give everything we have and put our whole hearts into the final game,” Jarosz said. “That was the most challenging game we’ve had on defense but we stood strong in our try zone and put up a fight.”
The only other points of the match came from Jarosz’s boot once again, but it was enough for a 6-0 win and national title.
“And all of the seniors – they push every single underclassmen to their highest potential and they were the reason we didn’t give up any tries. They pushed us through everything,” the MVP said. “We played for the seniors the whole year.”
It was a fantastic ending for those soon-to-be graduates, and especially captains Genevieve Ruesch, Danielle Macpherson, Sarah Clarke and Tara Sweeney, who served as motivation and led their team to victory.
Players like Jarosz, the first of a new generation that is starting its high school career with a national championship, they’ll be the key in sustaining a spot in the national final, a position that is no longer a distant memory. Experience is everything, and DSHA is national champion once again.
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