Doylestown Rugby Football Club News – May 11, 2026
High School Boys’ Team
The Doylestown Rugby Academy High School Boys’ Team hosted St. Joe’s Prep High School on Sunday, May 10, 2026, in a RugbyPA State Semi-Final Match. Doylestown scored the opening try at the 13-minute mark to take a 7-0 lead. St. Joe’s Prep then played inspired rugby and scored 3 straight trys to take a 17-7 lead at the 22-minute mark of the first half. Doylestown players looked at each other in the try zone, stayed calm, and agreed that it was well past time to turn it on. And that they did, with 7 consecutive tries to make the score 64-17. During that time, Doylestown played with their highest work rate and greatest support of the entire season. There were countless line breaks that went through many sets of hands before the try was scored. Every player was hungry for the offload or, even better, to hit and clear the ruck quickly so the ball could be sent to the next receiver so that player could score the try.
Try scorers for Doylestown were Aaron Kelly (1), Nick Miletto (1), Marco Burns (1), Liam Hoey (1), Davis Parisi (1), Alex Stukis (1), Jamie Weir (1), Jackson Reilly (1), Hunter Pulford (1), and Chris Imperato (1). Jamie Weir kicked 7 conversions. The Man of the Match was Jackson Reilly (scrumhalf). St. Joe’s Prep had 5 trys and 3 conversions. Doylestown next plays in the State Championship Match against Gregory the Great Academy at Penn State Berks on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
Match Film: https://youtu.be/8CI9PiT3e04
Below is a photo of the team after the victory and before they presented flowers to their moms for Mothers’ Day.
U16 Boys’ Team
The Doylestown Rugby Academy U16 Boys’ Team hosted the Hawks of St. Joe’s Prep U16 Rugby on Sunday, May 10, 2026 in the RugbyPA U16 Division State Semi-Final Match. St. Joe’s traveled to Doylestown with intentions to pull off an upset win over the host team. St. Joe’s played hard, tough rugby right from the opening kickoff. For the first 5 minutes, the two teams battled for field position in both teams’ defending territory. However, it was Doylestown that would break the stalemate first.
Justin Grosso, who played an extremely solid game for Doylestown, opened up the scoring. From Grosso’s lead, the young Dragons would see 3 more scores before St. Joe’s Prep responded with a try of their own. Jonah Khanan, Conor Cassidy, and Shane McCuen would all cross the tryline paint for the Dragons. With St. Joe’s lone score before halftime, the score was Doylestown 24 and St. Joe’s Prep 7 at the halfway mark.
Doylestown dominated the second half as well. The young Dragons saw the following players add to the scoreline: Carter Braun, Brady McReynolds, Brendon Frey, Jackson Backus, and AJ “Pete” Kelhart. By the final whistle, Doylestown stamped their mark on the game and also guaranteed their spot in the RugbyPA U16 State Championship with a resounding 65 – 7 win over the Hawks of St. Joe’s Prep.
Try scorers for Doylestown were Justin Grosso (2), Jonah Khanan (2), Conor Cassidy (1), Shane McCuen (1), Carter Braun (1), Brendon Frey (1), Jackson Backus (1), and AJ “Pete” Kelhart (1). Doylestown conversions were kicked by Jake Beckenhauer (4) and Jackson Backus (1). St. Joe’s Prep had one converted try. The Man of the Match was Justin Grosso for scoring 2 hard-running trys, and also for stepping up big time with his defensive prowess, and his overall leadership in stabilizing the Doylestown backline from his center position.
On Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 12:30 p.m., the Doylestown U16 Team will take on a familiar opponent in the Explorers of LaSalle College High School. The RugbyPA U16 State Championship Final will be played at Penn State-Berks County Campus in Reading. Good luck to the Young Dragons!
Match Film: https://youtu.be/JxMdObcZhjI
U14 Boys’ Team
Dragons Fall Short in Gritty Semi-Final Thriller Against Mont-Bucks
In a high-stakes rematch, with a trip to the State Championship on the line, the Doylestown Rugby Academy U14 Boys’ Team traveled to face Montgomery-Bucks (Mont-Bucks) on Sunday, May 10, 2026. Despite a performance defined by “fire” and an unbreakable team spirit, the Dragons narrowly missed the upset, falling 21-14 in a U14 Division State Semi-Final battle.
Coming off a loss to this same Mont-Bucks squad on May 3, 2026, Doylestown entered the pitch with a rejuvenated focus on teamwork and ball control. From the opening whistle, the Dragons’ defensive line acted as a “strong wall,” repeatedly neutralizing a physically larger Mont-Bucks side. The Dragons’ strategy was clear. The forwards’ job was executed relentlessly, “pick and goes” to grind out meters and maintain possession on a notably narrow field. For the backs, once the defense collapsed inward, the skillful Doylestown backs exploited the edges to find space. This disciplined approach paid off early. As the Dragons punched through for the game’s opening try, and with a successful conversion, the Dragons took a 7-0 lead. The tide shifted in the final moments of the first half. With less than a minute on the clock, the powerful Mont-Bucks number 8 broke free for a length-of-the-field sprint. As time expired, the match was deadlocked at 7-7.
The second half became a war of attrition. Both teams traded punishing runs and bone-jarring tackles. Mont-Bucks eventually managed to pull ahead 21-7, fueled largely by another dominant run from their standout number 8. Refusing to go quietly, Doylestown leaned into their “never give up” attitude. They rallied to bridge the gap to 21-14, turning the final minutes into a pressure cooker. With four minutes remaining, the Dragons camped out in the Mont-Bucks’ red zone, “knocking on the door” for a potential game-tying score. However, the Mont-Bucks defense held firm under the assault, securing their victory and a spot in next weekend’s State Championship.
Doylestown played with fire, togetherness, and a never-give-up attitude to make their final game of the season one to be very proud of. Although the scoreboard did not favor the Dragons at the end of the match, the team left the pitch with their heads high. After a season defined by growth and grit, the Doylestown U14s proved they could compete with the best in the state, finishing their campaign with a performance that was truly “on fire.”
For more information about Doylestown Rugby Football Club, go to www.doylestownrugby.com