Flyers Wrap Up a Successful Inaugural Season of Chaminade Rugby
By Anthony Scarmozzino ‘24
This spring, there was a sense of uncertainty surrounding Chaminade High School rugby. As a newly-formed team playing a sport relatively unknown to most Chaminade students, the Flyers knew that hard work and dedication were essential in order to conquer a steep learning curve and compete against many well-established rugby programs. Now at the close of its inaugural season, the team has proven to be a competitive mainstay for years to come.
Throughout the spring the team battled against opponents in a league consisting of St. Anthony’s High School, Fordham Preparatory School, and Xavier High School. Recently, the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) approved rugby as an official sport, which will add to this ever-expanding group of schools.
Since the team was announced last year, there has been a massive outpouring of support and excitement from both students and alumni. Over 130 Flyers showed interest in joining and, on the first day, 75 students showed up at the pitch. The team was coached by Ed Panzella ’90 with the help of his longtime friend and Stony Brook University coach Jerry Mirro, who served as director.
Panzella first encountered rugby after graduating from Chaminade and attending Fairfield University, where he quickly came to appreciate the sport’s teamwork and camaraderie. Panzella was nothing short of thrilled to lead the team through its first season.
Teaching rugby to a group of students with little to no knowledge about the sport proved to be a challenge. As Panzella described, “Rugby is a simple game but has lots of intricacies and laws to expand on. We only had three boys that had played any type of competitive rugby. We had to start with the basics of how to pass and tackle before we could get into the more complex phases of the game like line outs, scrums, rucks, and mauls.”
While learning the intricacies of the sport, a unique culture began to form on the team. Michael Merolla ’23, the #7 openside flanker and a team leader, said, “The team’s motto, coined by Coach Ed at the beginning of the year, was ‘1% Better Each Day.’ Coach Ed’s steady messaging encouraged us to focus on incremental and consistent growth. By pursuing that 1% over the course of the year, we molded into a squad that could battle and even topple some of the most respected rugby programs on the Island.”
This culture of dedication paid off as the team approached their first match against St. Anthony’s. The Flyers knew they had to play against a program with years of experience under its belt. After a well-fought match the Flyers came out on top, sealing a 10-7 victory against the Friars. The team exceeded expectations against an established Friar offense, putting up strong defensive displays inside the five meter line and hard-fought tries by scrumhalf Max McCarthy ’24 and second row Eamonn Welch ’24. The win was a massive boost to the team’s morale.
As Panzella described, “The boys were flying that night and after it. It certainly created a lot of buzz and let other teams in the area know that we had arrived and would be competitive.”
Merolla remembers the night similarly, saying, “I remember the exhaustion being replaced by elation as the final whistle sounded. I turned around and saw a wave of red and gold storming the field. Everyone was hugging and shaking each other; it truly felt like we had accomplished something miraculous.”
Throughout the season, the team continued to commit themselves to the “1% Better Each Day” motto. The Flyers put up strong efforts against Xavier and Rockaway High School, with the losses helping the team learn and improve. To close the season, the Flyers put their experiences and discipline to the test against Fordham. After scoring a season record of 21 points over Fordham’s 12, the Flyers finished the season with a respectable 2-2 record in a highly-competitive league.
By the end of the season, feelings were mixed but overwhelmingly positive. For the seniors, it was mostly bittersweet. “While we lamented that our short stints had concluded,” Merolla described, “we also took immense pride in setting the foundation for a flourishing program. Being the leaders and upperclassmen for Chaminade rugby’s inaugural season is something that we will all cherish.”
Overall, the team is optimistic for the future. Merolla continued, “We accomplished phenomenal things this season and have a group of hungry and talented underclassmen ready to take the reins of the program.”
The coaching staff echoed this statement. “We know we have athletes here and we as coaches just need to give them tools to win,” Panzella stated. “Looking forward to next year, we will start practice earlier so we can get more reps in, especially for the incoming freshmen. We will look to build a development squad with some dedicated coaching [for the freshmen]…while other coaches focus on the more senior and experienced players.”
Building a team from scratch is no easy feat; however, with the tireless work of coaches and players, the team shattered expectations and solidified their place in the New York rugby scene for years to come. Go Flyers!
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