The Belmont girls rugby team went to Quincy and achieved its ultimate goal: an eighth-straight state championship.
It wasn’t easy. Last year’s team overwhelmed Lincoln-Sudbury, 69-21, dominating from start to finish. This year, the game was closer, 36-24, as the Marauders fended off a desperate and talented Weymouth squad.
The challenges of the season might be summed up through Aislinn Reynolds’ experience on Thursday. Reynolds, who plays inside center, lost her cleat, but kept playing for a full five minutes.
“I was in a tackle, and then my shoe came off, and I was going to get it [but] my coach…was just shouting at me not to …so I was just like ‘Ok, I’ve played without a shoe before so I can do it again,’” Reynolds said after the match.
Much like how Reynolds forged on without her cleat, Belmont pressed through the challenges they faced to claim its eighth straight MIAA title on Thursday, June 11, at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy. After a 70-minute battle in oppressive heat, they hoisted their trophy, celebrating their win over Weymouth.
Belmont, which scored six tries and made three conversion kicks, finished the season 8-0.
A Challenge and a Triumph
As the game kicked off, the temperature on the turf reached 100 degrees. A brutal June sun beat down on the players, who were allowed water breaks every 10 minutes.
The first lineout of the match led to a clean play from the back line. Belmont’s sharp passes and speed running onto the ball left plenty of space for senior Farrah Harris to break away and score Belmont’s first try of the match, eight minutes in, as fans were still finding seats.
Weymouth intercepted a Belmont pass a minute and a half later, tying the game at 5-5. From the outset, the game featured huge tackles, turnovers, and exhausting defensive strategy for both sides. It was gritty, but Belmont came prepared.
“I trust my teammates,” junior Rebecca Christensen said after the game. “We’ve all been working together for so many weeks…I trust them [to] make that next hit…if I’m not able to get there…they’re gonna continue to hit hard.”
Christensen scored a hat trick in the match, oftentimes running into the tryzone with several Wildcat defenders hanging off her.
Junior wing Claire Ferreira scored back-to-back tries in the first half, sprinting up the sideline as she caught the ball on a bounce both times. Belmont ended the first half leading, 22-12.
Belmont began the second half down a player as their flyhalf, the rugby equivalent of quarterback, received a yellow card and sat for a 10-minute penalty.
Weymouth would not quit, pushing Belmont back each time they gained ground. Belmont remained unfazed, and their relentless attack led to another Christensen try.
A Different Season
Thursday’s match marked the end of a transition season for Belmont. After graduating 13 of its 15 starters last season, the Marauders embarked on a challenging season. Senior Lock Madeline Kenneally said that the most important lesson she has learned from this season and her time with the team has been perseverance.
“This season…we had tougher games, closer calls,” she said.
In the end, “we proved that our hard work…equals success,” Kenneally said.
The final few minutes of the match were tense as Belmont staved off a desperate Weymouth offense, eventually forcing a turnover that ended the match. Cheers from the stands soundtracked a special moment for the players as they crowded into a huge group hug.
Memories and a ‘Next Job’ Mentality
Coach Kate McCabe has led the Belmont Girls team since its inception in 2015. She has seen countless squads come and go. This group in particular “took the idea of Next Job…and wore it on their chest,” McCabe said.
Next Job is a Belmont Rugby phrase that asks players to continue moving forward, no matter what has happened in the past.
“I could hear them on the field through every game talking about how this was a ‘next job’ moment,” she said. “I have never seen…a group that really owned that in that way.”
“This season I have gotten to watch the people that I love work so hard,” said senior Hailey Reed. “I couldn’t have imagined high school without these people. They’re my friends, my family, my home, and I’m gonna miss them with everything I have…I’m so proud.”
