RUGBY FINALS ALL SET AFTER TOUGH SEMIS

By Shania Bulala

The intensity was high at the George Washington Field on Wednesday evening as teams battled for a spot in the ISA rugby championship match. In our featured boys varsity matchup, the George Washington Geckos battled through a nail-biting game against the Simon Sanchez Sharks, edging out a hard-fought 20-17 win.

Nizayah Untalan led the Geckos with two tries.

The Geckos will advance to play the Father Duenas Friars in a championship rematch on Saturday at 12:30 pm at the George Washington field.

Geckos Outlast Sharks in Nail-Biting Battle
The Sharks wasted no time putting points on the board. Early in the first half, Sharks’ Rodney McKinnon intercepted a pass and sprinted to the try zone to score the first points of the game. A successful conversion by Noah Fejeran extended the lead to 7-0, putting pressure on the Geckos to get on the scoreboard.

Adding to the Geckos’ early struggles, team captain Nizayah Untalan received a yellow card for a penalty, forcing the Geckos to play with one man down. The Sharks capitalized on this advantage, applying immediate pressure on the Geckos’ line.

“There were a lot of mistakes we made in this game. We knew in our hearts that we needed to fix it and not let it get the best of us,” reflected Untalan.

Despite being down a player, the Geckos regrouped and found their rhythm. Untalan redeemed himself by breaking through the Sharks’ defense to score a crucial try, cutting the deficit to 7-5 after a missed conversion attempt. Momentum continued to shift in favor of the Geckos as Jeremiah Sablan managed to power through the Sharks’ defensive line to score a try just before halftime, giving the Geckos a 10-7 lead going into the break.

The Geckos started the second half strong, with Untalan scoring his second try of the match, extending their lead to 15-7. However, the Sharks refused to back down. Sharks’ Diego Cabe answered back with a try of his own, bringing the score to 15-12 to keep the game within reach.

Both teams engaged in a fierce battle for yardage, trading possession to try and get out of the red zone. In the closing minutes of the game, the Geckos managed to execute a strategic passing play that allowed Kobe Alex to score another try in the corner of the field, pushing the Geckos lead further to 20-12.

With time running out, the Sharks made one final push. In the closing moments, Sharks’ Mitson Williams managed to find a break and score a try, narrowing the score to 20-17. Despite the Sharks’ late surge, the Geckos were able to walk away with the victory and secure their ticket to the championship match.

“We plan to fix our mistakes and keep them minimal,” said Untalan. “We also know that we need to fix every aspect of the game, especially communication. Once we click into that mode, we flow from there, and all our hard work will start to show.”

Top-Seeded Friars Dominate Bulldogs
As the number one seed, the Father Duenas Friars showcased why they have been the team to beat all season with a commanding 38-5 victory over the fourth-seeded Okkodo Bulldogs. The Friars’ defense set the tone early, making it difficult for the Bulldogs to gain any momentum or break through their defensive line.

The Bulldogs, despite their best efforts, were able to get on the scoreboard by scoring a single try in the match. With this dominant win, the Friars extend their perfect season and head into the championship match looking to defend their title in a championship re-match against the Geckos.

Girls Matchups
The girls varsity semifinals featured two intense matchups, with the Academy Cougars facing the Notre Dame Royals and the Southern Dolphins taking on the Sanchez Sharks.

The Cougars showcased their strength on both ends of the field, securing a dominant 21-5 victory over the Royals.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins avenged their recent loss to the Sharks by delivering a strong defensive performance, shutting them out with a 12-0 win.

With both teams carrying momentum into the final, the Cougars and Dolphins are set to face off for the championship title on Saturday at 12 p.m. at the George Washington field.