Warrior Rugby a fabric of seniors’ lives

PATASKALA — The tears were flowing quite often for Makenna Swearingen on Sunday, but they were not from pain resulting from three knee surgeries.

The Watkins Memorial senior struggled to keep her emotions in check before and after she and Warrior Rugby teammates beat visiting Perrysburg 42-12 during the home finale. The Swearingen family found its place in the Warrior Rugby family, and it will be difficult for Swearingen to take off her jersey later this spring.

“It’s crazy. I have played since sixth grade, and it’s a lot. So many people have helped me,” said Swearingen, who played through an ACL injury her sophomore and junior seasons. “My family are my coaches now. It’s been so much time, but I am happy for what we’ve all left behind here.”

The Warrior Rugby girls honored six seniors, with Alexandria Nickel, Ashley Koch, Abby Rudduck, Lydia Oyster and Mia Pollmeier joining Swearingen. The boys honored 12 — Zac McDermott, Max Little, Noah Bigham, Cody Jordan, Ben Meinen, Brennan Milhoan, Isaac Solomon, James Hayes, Brenden Allberry, Josh McCort, Josh Spindler and Simone Lore — before its 69-7 victory against Perrysburg.

The Warrior Rugby boys are the two-time defending Single School Division II state champions. After graduating a lot of talent the past two seasons, Warrior Rugby has experienced a couple of hiccups this season, but the team was clicking Sunday as seven players scored a try and three made conversions.

“The guys before us were incredible athletes, but we are working just as hard. We come out with passion and are ready to play,” said Hayes, whose dad Dan started the program in 2016. James Hayes’ classmates have gravitated to the program throughout the past decade, including Lore, an Italian exchange student, and Pollmeier, a German exchange student, this year.

“The first thing we care about is winning is what we say, but really we care about hanging out with our boys and making memories,” James Hayes said. “I love everyone who comes out to the team. This senior class is a lot of fun. They are going to be my brothers for life.”

Warrior Rugby is not affiliated with Southwest Licking Schools, but more than 150 students in grades six through 12 are participating this spring with dozens more elementary students expected to play flag in the summer. The high school boys have three teams, and the girls B side rounded out Sunday’s tripleheader with a 67-12 victory against Shaker Heights.

Senior Alexandria Nickel is a cheerleader in the fall and winter seasons. Something, however, changed when she stepped onto the rugby pitch last spring.

“We are a great family and work as a team, and that is why I love rugby,” Nickel said. “I love being very competitive. To build my confidence is why I did rugby. It helps me be aggressive.”

Warrior Rugby players have a wide variety of sports backgrounds, with many finding their niche on the pitch after trying several others at Watkins. It was a natural transition for senior Noah Bigham between football seasons each spring, but it quickly became something more than just a way to stay active.

“I love sharing and spreading the love I have for this game, and I love seeing guys enjoy it and fall in love with it,” Bigham said. “I live for it every spring. I look forward to this every year because it’s so much fun playing with the boys.”

The Warrior Rugby girls shined Sunday. Bethany Cangelosi, Riley Eberhart and Emma Watkins led the physical play inside, and Grace Smith distributed the ball outside to Maddi VanHoose and Chloe Hughes, who are dangerous in the open field.

“I think people are surprised when they come out here,” Swearingen said. “We have multiple seniors that have never played before, and they are starting A side. It just shows how you can be any shape or size or have never played a sport before, and you can still be great. We are the only sport like that.”

Allberry, McDermott and Russell Merz each scored two tries for the Warrior Rugby boys. Spindler, Hickey, Ralph Merz, Nate Neil and Hunter Henne added one each with McCort making a team-best four conversions.

Warrior Rugby will begin the postseason next month, but Sunday was about celebrating the past and passing the torch.

“It’s fun to get the subs in to get some experience, to get some reps,” Hayes said. “We have two freshmen on our sub list — Sam Crum and Cody West. They are already up on our level.”

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Warrior Rugby a fabric of Watkins Memorial seniors’ lives