KENSINGTON -- Two schools better known for their volleyball programs are also making their mark in rugby.
The Westisle Wolverines and Kensington Torches won the Paladian Business Solutions senior AA rugby championships at Kensington Intermediate-Senior High School on Thursday.
The Westisle girls defeated Montague 5-0 and the Kensington boys also defeated Montague, 10-5.
"It was a hard-hitting game and went back and forth," said Westisle coach Tommy Collins.
Kensington coach Andy Dibling commented, "I got no voice and I think I have an ulcer!"
In the bronze-medal games, the Souris boys defeated Morell 14-5 and the Colonel Gray girls forfeited against Morell.
Girls
In the girls' final, Monique Bernard's try near the midway mark of the first half accounted for the game's lone score.
"We used the wind in the first half to try and kick it down on them (Montague)," explained Collins. "In the second half, we basically battled the wind and tried to run it out of our own zone."
Westisle also came up with a big defensive stand late in the second half as Montague pressed to tie the game.
"Our defence has played really well all season," said Collins. "When we're pinned in our own zone that's when we seem to play our best defence."
The provincial championship capped an up-and-down season for the Wolverines.
"We underachieved this season," said Collins. "We finished 1-5 (won-lost) in the regular season and there were a couple of games that we should have won but just had slow starts and couldn't come all the way back."
Boys
Aaron Adams scored a try and Robert Snively added a convert to stake Kensington to a 7-0 lead at halftime. Snively added a second-half penalty kick.
"It was a see-saw battle," said Dibling. "Montague's a great team and they kept coming and coming.
"They found a gap on our wing and exploited it. They got us backing up and darn near pulled it out."
Dibling felt jumping out to the lead was important.
"Momentum, especially in high school sports, is everything," said Dibling. "You get up on a team early like we did and if we come away with no points after being down there (Montague's end) in the first five or 10 minutes like we were, then this is a totally different game."
Dibling praised his Grade 12-laden team.
"They brought it, they matured throughout the season and stepped it up when they had to," said Dibling. "I'm really proud of all of them."
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