Catholic Memorial, for the first time ever, won the Midwest High School Championship. The Crusaders went 3-0 last weekend in Elkhart, Ind., and defeated Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) 25-22 in Sunday’s title match. The finalists will join another six teams that featured at Midwests at the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) from May 18-20 in Nashville, Tenn.
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Senior co-captains Allison Koenig and Maddie Donnelly lead Catholic Memorial from flyhalf and scrumhalf, respectively, and had their work cut out for them as a wintry spring unfolded. The Crusaders had all of its games canceled, save one during spring break when the entire squad was not available.
“But the entire Midwest had the same weather problems, so teams were in the same boat – going into a tournament not having played a game,” Koenig said. “It was a little nerve-racking, but I was definitely impressed with how well we played.”
Saturday started with a 69-10 quarterfinal win over Illinois’ Lane Tech, and then the Crusaders defeated Indiana’s Warsaw 66-12 in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, DSHA bested Ohio’s Hudson 60-0 and St. Joseph 71-7 for a berth to the championship. (See the full results).
The last time Catholic Memorial and DSHA met, it was for the Wisconsin state title in fall 2017. The Crusaders won that game 15-10 (read more).
“Every game is the same: We know it’s going to be a hard-fought battle. It’s a matter of which team makes fewer mistakes that day,” the Quinnipiac University commit said. “Every time we play, it seems to come down to the last play of the game. And both teams have so much respect for each other.”
Koenig at the 2017 NIT / Photo: Jackie Finlan
Catholic Memorial took the first lead with a penalty goal, and then DSHA answered with two converted tries. The Crusaders closed in before the break but still trailed.
“It was cool because we played calmly and made the changes we needed as the game went on,” Koenig said. “[In the second half] we wanted to focus on what we were already doing, but just doing it better. The DSHA defense was incredible and it was tough to get to the gainline, so we needed to make better decisions about when to keep the ball and when to pass. In the moment, it can be hard to decide, so it helped to talk that out and to just remind each other that we’ve all played in big games before.”
Koenig praised the overall effort of the team, listening to each other and elevating its performance.
“When Serena [Roberts] scored a try,” Koenig noted a turning point. “[DSHA] got a penalty near their try zone and she just punched it up and scored. It gave the team confidence that we can do it. Seeing her score – I believe it was her first try ever – and seeing her excitement bumped up the whole team.”
Heading into the final minutes of the game, Catholic Memorial held onto a tenuous 25-22 lead. DSHA had missed a field goal attempt and then hoped to build a comeback off its final set piece of the game. But junior Roberts stole the put-in to essentially end the game, and she earned MVP for her efforts.
Catholic Memorial then celebrated its first-ever Midwest High School Championship title, and Koenig was quick to thank the many alumnae who reached out in support and provide perpetual motivation.
Donnelly at the 2017 NIT / Photo: Jackie Finlan
Catholic Memorial and DSHA have played each other three times this season – once during the regular season (24-12 to DSHA), the state final (15-10 to CMH) and then Sunday’s Midwest final, 25-22. The total point differential across those three games is four points.
“One score. That’s how close and hard-fought it has been. Just incredible commitment from both teams,” Catholic Memorial coach John Waliszewski relished the relationship. “What’s so beneficial and challenging about such great competitions, compared to one state final, is the ‘immediate’ opportunity to learn from a final and get a second chance at playing a high-pressure game again.”
Waliszewski was referring to the National Invitational Tournament, which occurs May 19-20 for the single-school division, and Koenig agreed with the sentiment.
“Just having the confidence in the whole team and knowing that we can do it,” the co-captain said of the win’s significance going forward. “We haven’t hit our peak. Even from that game, we have so many things to improve on, and we have that motivation going into [the NIT]. … It’s nice having this victory and knowing it’s not over.”
“If we do play again, and who knows if or what place it could be for, it’s a very, very hard road this year for all eight teams,” Waliszewski surveyed the entire NIT field. “It could come down to who is healthiest and who grows the most in these last few weeks.”
While Koenig and team are certainly eager to see where this season goes, she asserted that the squad isn’t rallying around a “this is our year” mantra. The team is simply refining its game, following the same methodology that produced a Midwest trophy.
Stay tuned for updates on the single-school and club NIT divisions.
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