Embroiled in a tie game late in the second half of the Connecticut Rugby State Division 1 Tournament final against Trumbull, Greenwich High School earned the finish it hoped for and added another cup shaped championship trophy to its already impressive collection.

The Cardinals’ Division I Varsity boys team scored three consecutive tries during the latter portion of the second half, turning a tie game into a decisive 38-17 win over Trumbull in a physical, championship game of the Connecticut State Tournament, held before a big crowd at Trumbull High School.

With the victory, Greenwich achieved a sweet-repeat, as it claimed the D1 state rugby title for the second straight season.

“It feels good, it’s a unique feeling,” Greenwich senior captain Santiago (Santi) Flynn said after the squad’s standout triumph. “I’m just so happy. It took all the work we put into the season, just running every minute of the game and giving it our all.”

In a back-and-forth match with the D1 state title on the line, the Cardinals took the lead for good when junior Ruben Meier scored a try with just over 18 minutes remaining in the second half. His try followed by the two-point conversion kick gave Greenwich a 24-17 lead.

Elliott Korsun, a senior, sprinted approximately 30 yards to the try zone after eluding several Trumbull athletes, giving Greenwich a 29-19 advantage. The ensuing conversion was good and the Cardinals upped their lead to 31-17 with just under 14 minutes remaining.

Cardinals senior captain Julen Guazo described what enabled the Cardinals to rally during the second part of the second half.

“The first half was tight,” Guazo said. “They (Trumbull) came out strong, they’re a big team, they hit really hard. We had a good goal line defense. I was happy with that tie at halftime. I felt like we should have had the lead more, but we didn’t really have the ball in our hands.”

“To come out in the second half and smash them in every way possible was fun,” Guazo continued. “Trumbull, a lot of these guys are my friends, but it really feels great.”

Greenwich’s second-half surge continued when senior Nick Martschenko raced his way to the try zone. Martschenko’s try, followed by the successful conversion, made it 38-17, in favor of Greenwich and another state championship was in the Cards.

“Sophomore year, I was on the team that lost to Staples, we lost and last year we won the state championship right here for the first time in eight years,” Guazo recalled. “That felt amazing. This year, the whole year we have been putting in the work, the effort, going through countless hard games, everyone getting beat up – and now coming to this and it being our final game at Greenwich High School, it’s emotional, it’s fulfilling.”

Greenwich’s offense in the first half against Trumbull in the state championship game was powered by tries by senior Aidan Byrne and senior captain Dylan Stanton. Senior Henry Wahl added an opening half try for the state champion Cardinals.

“The whole game up until maybe the last 15 minutes, was so tight, maybe the last five, 10,” said Stanton, who also explained the Cardinals’ strategy as the second half progressed.

“We started to exploit the wings, early we had a couple of tries at the wing,” Stanton said. “We realized if we that if we kept playing our structure – our whole structure was getting it wide – we realized if we keep playing our structure, then the plays would open up and we would score more.”

“Another thing we were fighting in that first half was discipline,” Stanton noted. “We had so many offsides and so many high tackles and once we realized that, we came out in the second half towards the end there we took away.”

The championship win over the Eagles of Trumbull put the finishing touch on an undefeated season against Connecticut teams for Greenwich. The Cardinals finished with a perfect 6-0 record in the D1 league of Connecticut Rugby, registering victories against Staples (68-8 on April 2), Fairfield Prep (33-17, April 10), Fairfield Rugby (49-15, April 30), Trumbull (24-7, May 9) and of course, the state title game.

“This felt absolutely huge,” GHS senior captain Fred Shaw said. “Going into this season we were coming off a high, it was our first state championship in eight years. We had a lot of returning seniors and had super high expectations. We hit one of our most important goals of the season, which is staying undefeated at states, so I’m super proud of all the boys. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the juniors, sophomores and freshmen are going to do next year.”

The Cards’ state final win versus Trumbull was similar to their regular season victory over the Eagles.

“It had the same outcome as the first time we played them, it was tied at the half and we knew it was a very physical match,” Shaw said. “Both sides were missing some players and we really worked hard t push through and play our game and working out wide.”

The 2026 season also saw Greenwich finish a strong sixth at the High School Nationals and also earn several more victories versus out-of-state opponents. Indeed, it was another memorable rugby season for the Cardinals, who once again, received outstanding leadership and guidance from their coaching staff.

“It’s a great feeling, we did it last year,” Stanton said. “To go out my last game as a senior at Greenwich High School is the greatest feeling.”

“This senior season is the best season ever,” Flynn noted. “You’ve got your juniors helping you and all your teammates, it’s your last season playing at GHS.”

Here’s some more scenes from Greenwich’s championship win against Trumbull.