WILMINGTON – Cape Storm Rugby paid dearly for a lack of focus and defensive discipline Sunday, falling 40-12 to a strong Salesianum squad, but remains in the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union playoff hunt with a 2-2 regular season record.
The previous Thursday night, Cape May County’s under-19 rugby club dropped its first match of the season in a hard-fought match with Cherry Hill-based South Jersey.
Against South Jersey, Cape Storm ran in three unanswered tries in the first half but several defensive lapses allowed their Southern District rival to come out with the 39-22 win.
Cape Storm went into the match with a 2-0 district record, but started flat. Within the first 10 minutes the Storm found itself down by two un-converted tries, 10-0.
The second-year club then settled in and went to work, slowly plugging away until Lower Cape May Regional High School junior wing John Abadie took a pass from standout fullback Kyle Boyle and burst past the South Jersey defense for a try in the 27th minute.
Down 10-5 after a failed conversion attempt, Cape Storm wasted no time in marching down the field and pushing in a second try – this one from veteran flanker Angel Sotomayor (LCMR). The conversion attempt missed and the score was even at 10 apiece.
Playing its best rugby of the season, the Storm maintained huge pressure on South Jersey and was rewarded when flyhalf Mike Angelucci (Ocean City High School) spun the ball to the blind side of the field for second-year lock Tom Mohr. Mohr, an LCMR graduate, penetrated the defense and offloaded to a bursting Abadie, who went 30 meters for his second try, giving the Storm a 15-10 lead.
A miscue on the ensuing kickoff gave South Jersey the ball deep in Storm territory and the home side was able to punch in a score and tie the score at 15-15 just before half.
An unadvised kick put the ball directly into the hands of South Jersey’s most dangerous player early in the second half, and the home squad went up 22-15 after a 50 meter solo run for a try, followed by a successful conversion kick.
With the Storm on its heels, South Jersey hammered in another try five minutes later and went up 29-15 after the successful conversion kick.
Not yet ready to give in, the Cape May squad stormed back. Reserve flyhalf Matt Nowakowski (LCMR) fed standout inside center Jon DeHainaut (Cape May Technical High School) for a stunning 40-meter break and a try. Nowakowski nailed the conversion kick and cut the lead to 29-22.
A second comeback wasn’t in the cards, however. South Jersey added two unanswered tries at the end of the match to seal the 39-22 victory and up its’ record to 2-1.
Mohr’s impressive performance in attack and on defense earned him Man of the Match honors for the forward pack while Abadie was named Man of the Match in the backline.
Cape Storm earned a victory in the second match of the day behind the hard running of Nowakowski and a standout defensive effort of flanker Adam Nugent (OCHS), both of who earned Man of the Match honors.
A 45-meter break by scrumhalf Daryl Davis (LCMR) put the Storm up 5-0 early in the first half. Davis added the first try of the second half, picking the ball off the base of a ruck after penetrating runs from 8-man BJ Walker and from Nugent. Nowakowski kicked the conversion to put the Storm up 12-0.
Walker kept the offensive attack rolling with a big run several minutes later, offloading to flanker Kyle Patterson who fed Nowakowski for a 50 meter dash to the try line. Nowakowski converted his own try to put the Storm up 19-0.
South Jersey added a late try but missed the conversion kick, bringing the final score to 19-5.
On Sunday, an experienced Salesianum squad consistently found holes in the Cape Storm defense and ran up a 35-0 halftime lead in their Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union Under-19 match.
The Storm got on the scoreboard 18 minutes into the second half, when standout fullback Kyle Boyle punched in a try that was converted by center Matt Nowakowski (Lower Cape May Regional High School). Flanker Vince DeSantis (Ocean City High School) added another try late in the match.
Flanker David Lawson earned Man of the Match honors for his elevated defensive play.
In the second match of the day, lock John Selgrath (Cape May Tech) and flanker Adam Nugent (OCHS) touched-down a try apiece and Nowakowski added a conversion, but the Storm fell just short, 17-12. Wing Adam Prettyman (LCMR) was named Man of the Match.
Cape Storm returns home Sunday to take on St. Augustine Prep in both squads’ final regular-season match.
For more information, visit www.capestormrugby.org
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
