At the recent Old North State Invitational, Atlantis Rugby unveiled our first ever U16 Boys and U18 Girls 15s sides. The teams went a combined 6-1-1 on the weekend and both finished in the top 2 for their divisions. This comes on the heels of Atlantis Rugby branching out into 15s at the Buckeye Invitational in June with a U18 Boys side that also finished in the top 2.
For the Boys side information was provided by Coach Jess Nedzwecky and for the Girls side information was provided by Coach Brittany Vegso. Director Jack Foley also contributed to this article.
The U16 Boys had a great first showing as a 15s squad and took home the Tournament Championship with a record of three wins and one draw. Despite the matches being shortened we managed a huge offensive output with 20 total tries, scored by 11 different players, to help achieve an aggregate scoreline of 133-51.
The scores were:
54-15 over NC Selects
38-5 over Young Glory
17-17 vs NC Selects
24-14 over Young Glory
The 23 player roster had representation from 9 different teams throughout PA, NJ, and DE and we even had a few players whose only rugby experience prior to this weekend was in 7s. Jamie Weir, running at flyhalf, continually led the offense through effective communication and putting players in positions to be successful. His ability to see the field is unmatched in this age group. He also scored 2 tries, went 15/20 on conversions and 1/1 in penalty kicks to tally 43 points.
Scrumhalf, Jackson Reilly, created the space for multiple tries with his precise passing, agility, quick taps, and overall smart play. Max Titter and Chris Imperato were standouts among the forwards in all around play on both sides of the ball. Henry Wallace led from the fullback position, keeping the team organized on defense and aggressively inserting himself in the backline when we had the ball. Jimmy Heffernan led the team with 4 tries, with Bennett Glock following with 3 tries. Off the bench, James Burke (fullback, scrumhalf and wing) and Bryan Henry (prop and No.8) made huge impacts in various positions as needed throughout all four matches. Finally, Dom Pecora not only showcased his skills, but also his strong leadership potential, on and off the field, as team captain this weekend. Despite playing against one another a week before in 7s state playoffs, we are all extremely proud of how this team came together in one full practice and represented the Atlantis organization.
Some players who are going to be very fun to watch in coming seasons include Nate Bourassa, Deacon Pesce, Ryan Cupchak and Charlie Hope. All four showed a ton of potential and we are looking forward to watching them develop.
Tries:
Jimmy Heffernan – 4
Bennett Glock – 3
Jamie Weir – 2
Deacon Pesce – 2
Dom Pecora – 2
Nate Bourassa - 2
Bryan Henry – 1
Grant Croce – 1
Chris Imperato – 1
Jackson Reilly – 1
Ryan Cupchak – 1
Roster:
Lucas Aikens
Nata Bourassa
Ryan Brown
James Burke
Grant Groce
Ryan Cupchak
Patrick DeRosato
Jamie Weir
Bennett Glock
Jimmy Heffernan
Bryan Henry
Charlie Hope
Christopher Imperato
Mario Palena
John Pearson
Dom Pecora
Deacon Pesce
Jackson Reilly
Bryce Strenkowski
Jack Sugalski
Seamus Sykes
Max Titter
Henry Wallace
Photos can be found here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B2T532ODWGRi7YQ
The makeup of the Atlantis U18 girls team included 23 players, representing 7 different teams throughout PA, NJ, and NY. 11 of the players would be young enough to qualify for U16, and one of them (Kayla Robinson) is young enough to qualify for U14. The staff was extremely proud of the girls' standard of play competing against U18 Academy teams as they earned a 3-1 record over the weekend.
Lily McGettigan, a Brown University commit at flyhalf, continually led the offense through effective communication and putting players in position to be successful. As captain, her ability to see the field was critical to our success, and her game sense and calm presence throughout the tournament drove the team. Scrumhalf Abby, her sister, clinically distributed the ball to space with precise passing, agility, and overall smart play.
As a group, the forwards dominated the opposition and played smart, structured rugby. Bridgette McGonigle, Akayla Towles, and Mackenzie Marks were standouts among the front row forwards, continually gaining the line and providing a strong defensive foundation around the ruck. Allie Beckanheur was a force at the breakdown, especially in defense, winning key turnovers throughout and captaining our forwards.
Campbell Way led a very fast and potent backline attack, with three tries (including our first ever) in the first game against Ohio. The Backline as a whole was a very fast, very dangerous group with ball in hand (we do have a 7’s history!), and defensively shut down the opposition throughout the weekend.
The most impressive part of this first Atlantis 15s team was that we established our standard: Structured, Disciplined, Skilled, and Hard in contact. As a group, they defined Atlantis Girls 15s moving forward, and that is a very privileged and unique opportunity these young women will never forget. They are what every other Girls team moving forward must now honor. Despite playing against one another a week before in local 7s state playoffs, we are all extremely proud of how this team came together over the course of our fall Academy and the weekend to represent the Atlantis organization, their home club, and themselves.
Try Scorers:
Campbell Way
Kayla Robinson
Maggie Hoffman-Long
Peyton Langworthy
Emily Wright
Jocelyn Terry
Akayla Towles
Conversions by Lily McGettigan and Jocelyn Terry.
Roster:
Sienna Accardi
Maggie Barnes
Allie Beckenhauer
Sasha Brown
Sydney Haddon
Maggie Hoffman-Long
Peyton Langworthy
Mackenzie Marks
Abbey McGettigan
Lily McGettigan
Bridget McGonigle
Erin Mordosky
Ellie Nurss
Samantha Orlando
Noelle Robinson
Kayla Robinson
Nora Rosenburg
Delilah Staberg
Jocelyn Terry
Akayla Towles
Campbell Way
Morgan Whelan
Emily Wright
It should be noted that due to injury Delilah Staberg was a late scratch from the roster but we wanted to acknowledge her earning a spot on this team. Similarly, Sarah McKeown earned a spot but also could not play due to injury. Sarah was able to travel and we very much appreciate her serving as team manager!
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