Wheeling, W. Va. - The Wheeling University Rugby team (4-4, 3-2) took Bishop Schmitt Field for the final time on Saturday when they hosted Adrian College. They were able to give their fans a show, picking up a 43-16 win to clinch a spot in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) 15's playoffs. The Cardinals will be one of the top three teams from the Big Rivers Rugby Conference (BRRC) going to the playoffs and will likely be playing in the 2/3 game to earn a wild card spot.
Wheeling got the ball for the game's first possession and wasted no time getting it across the try line. The Cardinal's hottest player right now, Aaron Juma, took the ball from the 20-yard line and brought it across the Try Line. Ayoub Jalli converted on the conversion kick and Wheeling took a 7-0 lead. Just seven minutes later, Juma was back at it again, using his speed to get up the sideline and get across the line again as a Jalli conversion made it 14-0. The scoring would subside over the next 16 minutes as the ball went back and forth. Adrian would be next on the board with a pair of three-point kicks that cut the Cardinal's advantage to 14-6.
The Cardinals were looking for one more big play before the half was out, and got one courtesy of Lawula Bata. Bata picked up the ball on his own 30 yard line and sent a kick out in front. He used his speed to retrieve the kick and took the ball the rest of the 70 yards across the try line. Jalli made his third conversion kick of the day and Wheeling took a 21-6 lead. That would be the score as the team's headed to the half, with a team effort keeping Adrian from crossing the try line in the half. They looked for continued success as they entered the game's final 40 minutes of play.
The offense was just as quick to get going in the second half, but this time it was Adrian who would get on the board. They scored their first try of the night at the 47 minute mark and cut Wheeling's advantage to 21-13. With Adrian now within striking distance, the Cardinals would get a big try from Mohamed Hadar in the 56th minute, but the conversion kick was no good. It was Haddar's third try of the season and Wheeling would go ahead 26-13. Another Adrian penalty kick would bring the score to 26-16 before Noam Taurin scored his first try of the season. That was the insurance that Wheeling needed and they wouldn't back down from there.
After Jalli added another three-point kick, Juma was at it again, scoring his third try of the day to bring him to seven on the season. It would be the final score of the day for the Cardinals, and tied Juma for the team lead with seven tries this season. Wheeling went on to win by that 43-16 score and clinched their spot in the NCR 15's playoffs.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Juma, who scored three tries on the day, accounting for 15 points. Other tries for the Cardinals came from Mohamed Haddar (5 Pts.), Lawula Bata (5 Pts.), and Noam Taurin (5 Pts.). Ayoub Jalli had a strong day kicking the ball, going 5-6 on conversion kicks and adding a three-point kick in the game, giving him 13 points on the afternoon.
The Wheeling University Rugby team closes out the regular season on Saturday when they take on Davenport in non-conference action at 1 PM.
