SHS Rugby Continues Strong Season

Submitted release

The Simsbury High School Rugby club had a great weekend, with each of its three teams defeating their counterparts from Cheshire High School.

The Simsbury Girls got things started with a exciting 12-10 win over a very good Cheshire girls club.  The SHS girls brought the win home with an exciting finish and advanced their team record to 2-0 on the season.  Two college women’s Rugby coaches were on hand to witness a game that was well played and physical for both teams.   Congratulations to the SHS girls on a hard fought victory.

The day continued well as the SHS  A side stepped on to the pitch against one of Simsbury's biggest rugby rivals, Cheshire High School,  in a game that would probably decide who goes to the final 4 for the state playoffs.   The coaches and players talked all week about how important the game was and how the team needed to play well on the road in order to come away with a win.   The boys raised their play to a level that they had waited for all season and dominated a good Cheshire program with physical play that finally broke them in the second half, sending Simsbury on to a 28-7 win and a 3-1 record.   

“We talked all week about this game being a pivotal point  in our season and a trip to the final 4 being on the line and the team really stepped up and played a very physical game and broke Cheshire down," Head Coach Ed Matteo said. "We had some players really step up and newcomer  Mike Olechna playing in his first A side match played fantastic.   We have two of our toughest matches coming up and we really need to win them to avoid the #1 team in the  country,  Greenwich High School, in a first round matchup.”       

The B side continued the days success as over 25 new players rotated through out the game, did not miss a beat, and handed Cheshire its 3rd loss of the day.  

With the A side win, Simsbury clinches a final 4 spot at the state tournament on the weekend of May 18-20 at a site to be determined and an opponent to be determined.   The next 2 games will determine which teams finish 2nd, 3rd or 4th place, and if we host or travel to play the final 4 game.    

Simsbury’s only loss of the season came against the #1 ranked team in the country Greenwich High School. 

The Men’s team faces one of the oldest High School clubs in the state on Saturday May 5th at Simsbury High School with kick off set for 2:15.