Photos: Ken Klemencic
This spring high school season has been notable in that several well known powers saw their reigns as state champions halt. Hudson is among those programs that has won its first state title, claiming Ohio’s Division I championship over up-and-coming Walnut Hills in the final.
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But Hudson head coaches Brittany and Adam Campli did not enter the season expecting an exceptional year. The team had graduated its captains and taken on a bunch of new players, and the Camplis welcomed a newborn five days before pre-season, and thus had some attention shift. During two key tournaments – the North Carolina Ruggerfest and Midwest Championships – many of Hudson’s key leaders were unavailable, and younger players were thrust into starting positions.
“We started on a rough note this season. We didn’t know what direction it would go,” coach Brittany Campli said. “A lot of rookies and young players were put in positions that they maybe weren’t ready to play, but they also got a lot of minutes that they might not have gotten otherwise.”
In particular, sophomores Lauren Knoblauch (center) and Reece Regan (flyhalf) took advantage of these opportunities and really developed as rugby players. Another sophomore, Kat Laver, who ended up being voted Most Improved Player by her teammates, distinguished herself as a hard-tackling flanker.
Leadership wise, hooker Bailey Regan, Reece’s older sister, and scrumhalf Gillian DeRoche captained the squad on and off the field, and Campli praised the duo for keeping the squad in check and managing the emotional side of the game. Campli also pointed to fellow seniors Clara Lemal-Brown and Samira Colbert as example setters. Pacey fullback Lemal-Brown, who is committed to Quinnipiac University, was named Miss Rugby Ohio, or MVP of the league. Colbert is heading to Denison University and is a hard-running No. 8, who is the picture of physicality.
“As the season progressed, we realized that this was probably the best overall team we’ve had,” said Campli, whose been with the team five years. “We’ve always had standout athletes, standout individuals. But our 1-15, even into our 22, are really solid rugby players – not just athletes – who understand the game.”
Back at home, Hudson was pleased to find a very competitive Division I, devoid of those gimme games that once dotted the schedule. Nevertheless, it was the game against St. Joseph, the long-time state champion, that served as the turning point toward the state title.
“You can say that they’ve been a thorn in our side,” Campli said of the perennial powerhouse. “It’s been a mental game with our girls, too. There have been years we’ve been just as competitive but the girls didn’t have the confidence to overcome the mental barrier to get themselves there.”
The teams met in early May and were tied 31-all with five minutes remaining. Hudson drew a penalty from 35 meters out, dead center, and first-year senior Lucy Marshall, a soccer player, nailed the three-pointer, earning the nickname “Golden Boot.” Hudson won that regular-season game 34-31 and with it banked a ton of momentum and confidence.
“It opened our girls’ eyes,” Campli said. “We can be state champs and there’s isn’t always going to be this dominant team that is out of reach. And I don’t mean to talk about St. Joe’s. I’m very good friends with their coaches and they have an outstanding program that we’ve been trying to emulate. … Their level, it’s something we’ve been chasing since we’ve started. It’s just good for the league it’s starting to even off.”
St. Joseph’s rugby team is aligned with the high school itself, while Hudson is a club with a hybrid designation, meaning players receive a varsity letter through their high schools. Campli explained that there is a committee of parents and coaches working with the athletic department and school board with the goal of adding rugby as a varsity sport. The coach only sees benefits to such an evolution.
Hudson won its final two regular season games and went into the post-season ranked first. In the semifinals, the team faced #4 Brunswick, which played in its first Girls’ National Invitational Tournament in May, and won 34-24. Meanwhile, DI newcomer Walnut Hills, which won Ohio’s DII last year, defeated St. Joseph 48-24 for the DI championship berth.
When the two finalists faced each other in the regular season, Hudson beat the Cincinnati-based team by 10 points. In the rematch, Hudson won 31-5 and claimed its first DI state championship.
“We’re really proud of the girls. They’ve been working hard,” Campli said. “It was cool to see – during the final, when the clock was running down and all the emotion when we won the championship.”
As Hudson enjoys its achievements, its players are still actively pursuing the next level of play. Eight players joined the Celtic Elite at an all-star tournament last weekend and will head to the Midwest Regional Cup Tournament next weekend. And three players were invited to the Midwest High School Thunderbird camp occuring at Denison University.
The team is graduating 10 players this year, and in addition to Lemal-Brown and Colbert, look for Samone Portis at Notre Dame College and Eva Johnson as part of the first recruitment class for Youngstown University this fall. The remainder of the seniors will be joining collegiate club programs. They’ve set a new standard for Hudson, which will play its next 15s season with the new title, “defending champion.”
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