The New Trier Rugby Club had its best finish in program history last season when it finished second in the state. After starting the season 0-2, New Trier rallied to win four straight, including a 24-0 shutout of then-unbeaten Neuqua Valley.

The winning continued in the first round of the state playoffs Thursday, May 19, when New Trier faced off with St. Rita at Gilson Park in Wilmette. The home squad walked away with a 64-10 win, moving onto the semifinal round of the state playoffs.

“Those guys played really tough all game,” New Trier coach Leo Sheridan said. “St. Rita was a really spirited team, had a lot of enthusiasm but we came out on top.”

New Trier is unlike its opponent in that the team is made up of students from the North Shore, primarily New Trier and Loyola.

One of those Loyola students, Ryan Dowdle, got the scoring started when he went down the left side of the field for a successful try. Place kicker David Gascoigne knocked in the first of his five good first-half extra point tries.

Chris Notari got New Trier back on the scoreboard soon after with a nice scamper, giving the home squad another try. Two more points on the extra point gave New Trier an early 14-0 lead.

Charlie Stimson then got in the action when he went down the right sideline for almost the entire field to score the first of his two tries and give New Trier a 19-0 lead.

Nick Andre would follow that up with the first of his first two successful tries. St. Rita scored soon after to try to cut the lead down, but the missed extra point made the score 28-5.

Notari’s second successful try and Gascoigne’s fifth successful extra point of the half gave New Trier a 40-5 lead at the intermission.

While the team’s offense was busy scoring on more tries, the New Trier defense was successfully shutting down any hopes that the Mustangs had on coming back to make it a game.

That included a spectacular play made by two New Trier players.

“St. Rita had a breakaway after one of their players intercepted a pass,” Sheridan said. “Our two wings, Pierce (Hourihane) and Ashton Paez chased and caught him at the last two meters and they tackled him in the end zone. When they tackled him, they held the ball up, so it didn’t hit the ground and then when he tried to pull it out, he touched it to the ground. But when you touch it to the ground after the ball comes out, it’s a five meter scrum.”

Liam Hirsch and Joe Lewis scored on successful tries before that key defensive stop.

Andre and Stimson’s second successful tries were sandwiched by a St. Rita successful try.

With the win, New Trier moves onto the semifinals against the winner of Arlington and Mount Carmel. Arlington beat New Trier in the first game of the year 12-7 back on April 10. New Trier defeated Arlington in the 2015 state semifinals, beating the Stallions 22-19.

“Our next game is going to be a tough one, especially if we play Mount Carmel,” Sheridan said. “Mount Carmel is a really good team, but all the teams from here on our are going to be really tough.”

The Illinois high school state playoffs are a single elimination tournament played over a two-week timespan, culminating in the state title game on Memorial Day at the Mercy Sportscore Two in Loves Park.

“We’re going to have the top four teams in the state and they’re all very good,” Sheridan said. “We’re all very physical, have strong backs and like to run so I don’t think we’re going to see anything easy. It’s just going to be guts.”

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