Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) and Catholic Memorial High (CMH) are two of the best high school teams in the country, and their meetings this decade are always highlights, both in-state, regionally and nationally. The first big milestone of the season is the Wisconsin State 15s Championship, and the duo did not disappoint. After a tied first half, the Dashers pulled ahead in the second stanza for an 18-7 win and the program’s 17th state title.
Related: Wisconsin HS Girls Rugby Homepage
Lucy Mueller, Soraya Keiser, Jackie Jarosz and Georgia Barczak are DSHA’s four captains, and they took time to reflect on the season and championship.
TRB: What does your squad look like this season and is there continuity carrying over from last year’s national championship?
Mueller: We started our fall season with only four returning starters from our 2019 national championship match. To our opponents, this looked like something to take advantage of, but we knew that we had a lot of experienced players to fill the positions of the talented class that graduated last year. This also pushed us to work even harder. We knew we had to live up to the success of last year, and did not let the lack of returning players get in our way. The lineup for this state final was very different from last year’s, but we still had the same goal: to win another title for the legacy of our program.
TRB: Was there anything unique about this season, and does the strong likelihood that you’ll see Catholic Memorial at the end of the season act as a motivator?
Keiser: This season was a bit more intense than usual because we wanted to accomplish what had been missing in this program for a few years, and that is to win the state championship two years in a row. Although we did not have a lot of returning players, we did not use this as an excuse.
Everything we practiced was in preparation for the state final. We knew that we were going to play CMH, and we wanted to be ready to repeat our win. Playing CMH is a huge motivator every season because they are our biggest competition. We used our regular-season competition to challenge ourselves to find ways to improve. Although playing against CMH is a significant motivator, every year our greatest motivators are our teammates. DSHA Rugby has a team dynamic like no other. It is all about everybody who came before us, who we share the field with now, and who will come after us. DSHA Rugby truly embodies the idea of team before self.
TRB: What do you expect when you face CMH, and can you describe the first half of the final?
Jarosz: We expect a tough battle every year, a hard-fought game on both sides. With this match-up being what it is, neither team will go down without a hard push. What makes us different, however, is what our coaches have ingrained in us. [DSHA head coach John Klein] has built a championship culture out of DSHA Rugby, and with that we come into every game knowing we must maintain what those before us have laid down. We are given a special kind of confidence that does not make losing an option.
The first half of the game proved to be a battle. We both came out as hard as expected. Once we got our bearings straight, we were able to find and attack their weak spots and test the extent of their defense. We found some holes and worked our system; a system that is designed to test the depth of the defense. Although it was tied at half, we knew it was only a matter of time until our offense would wear them down. We were able to use our fitness to slowly fatigue the defense and eventually capitalized when the moments presented themselves.
TRB: What was discussed during halftime?
Barczak: There was something special about the energy in our halftime huddle. In all honesty, although it was tied at half, it felt like we were winning. Our energy was incredibly high and we were eager for the second half to begin. Just a few words and a couple looks were exchanged. There was very little that needed to be said. All we needed to do was play our game, and every player on and off the field understood that. As seniors especially, there was no way we were letting this one slip through our fingertips. We had a goal and everybody was confident that we were going to achieve it. I looked at my fellow captains and I knew that they were as confident as I was. We were ready to finish what we started.
By game’s end, Jarosz accounted for 13 points on a try, conversion and two penalties, while Haley Crow scored the Crusaders’ try and Aly Cunningham kicked the extras in the 18-7 decision.
The quartet also made special note of the coaches’ influence:
We have the best coaching staff in the country and that is why we are so successful. Everyone sees what us as players accomplish out on that field, but none of that is possible without our coaches. They have, and continue, to dedicate.
Wisconsin High School Girls Rugby runs a full slate of final games:
9th: Madison Co-Op- 72-14 Oak Creek7th: Brookfield 22-17 DSHA JV5th: Pulaski 39-24 Hamilton3rd: Knightmares 40-23
Wisconsin provides options in the spring. Some programs participate in a 7s series while others stick to 15s and prepare for the Midwest Regional Championship and national tournament, which is being held at Notre Dame College (Euclid, Ohio) on May 16-17, 2020.