Rugby Wins Sixth Straight State Title

By John Sutherland ’16

The Rugby Club won their sixth straight Maryland High School Rugby Championship by defeating North Bay in the championship game with an impressive win of 57-10 on May 3 at Warner’s Rugby Farm.

“I don’t think we clearly outmatched our opponent.  We tied them earlier in the year.  Since then we have put in a new offense and a new defense,” explained Coach Dan Soso. “The team they expected didn’t show up, and it was an entirely different side.  The kids were the same, but the tactics and speed of play, especially on defense, caused them huge problems.  They were a much better team than the score indicated.”

Junior Charlie Siarkas is a main reason why the team has had so much success this year. He came up big in the championship game by scoring twice and even was featured nationally as one of the top performances by a player in a state championship game. Siarkas has played so well this season that he was invited to High School All-American Trials Camp.

Corey Levey and junior Boris Ngouabe have also impressed with their play this year and could also be invited to the camp, according to Soso. Senior Brian Jung contributed in the championship game with his defense as he forced North Bay into making several unnecessary turnovers.

Soso credits the continuous success of the team over the years to all of his players. “It’s easy to win when you have great kids.  Coaching is overrated; it’s all about the kids,” said Soso.