Perthshire 28 – 56 Garnock

Perthshire score 4 tries against runaway league leaders.

Perthshire’s first match at the North Inch in 2024 started with both oppositions joining the 1XV & Eagles lining up for a minute’s silence to remember Club legends and members who have passed away over the last month: George Clunie, Eleanor O’Driscoll, Gilmour McFarlane and Bob Loudon. The rugby played out was in good nature and competitive to the end, a great tribute to our friends recently departed.

The 1XV received the kick with James Mair claiming it, he was taken out in the air, the referee awarding a penalty. The wind was blowing hard across the pitch making kicking and lineout throws unpredictable for the whole match. Perthshire won their first lineout but dropped the ball soon after to allow Garnock their opening attack.

The North Ayrshire men are hard runners and broke off the scrum getting in behind. Forced to front up ‘Shire rallied, with a series of ruck penalties won by Calum Chalmers relieving the pressure; earning ‘Shire a good attacking position.

The wind took the lineout away and Garnock kicked to clear but found fullback Aidan Watson who, ran it back with electrifying pace and deft footwork to regain the initiative. Fast plays brought ‘Shire into the 22 before Garnock stalled then illegally halted the play. Taking a penalty scrum in front of the posts, scrumhalf Lewis Murrie had options either side and delivered a perfect pass to Rory Bayne who dummied then rounded his opposite man to go in under the posts. Calum Bruce converting to open a 7-0 lead.

Garnock hit back minutes later taking good field position following a high-tackle penalty. The ball was sent one side then back stretching the defence, a quick pick from an unguarded ruck allowed the No. 8 to go clear and cover 15m for a converted try.

Aidan Watson found space again, this time with a clearance kick which was perfect for Thomas Pounder to chase, winning a penalty just outside the 22 as he caught Garnock who held on. Unfortunately the opportunity went as the lineout was lost.

The league leaders showed why they are undefeated 12 from 12 and took their opportunities with 2 quick tries. Another promising ‘Shire attack, started with solid carries by James Mair backed up by Ben Marshall, was turned over. On the counter, a kick though was collected by the Garnock centre who won the race to the line. Some further direct hard running in the next minutes saw them extend the lead, 7-21.

The half was nearly over and Perthshire again did the hard work. Building the pressure over multiple phases the men in Black & White could only get so far before Garnock blunted the momentum. The visitors then turned it over and nearly went on to score again.

Returning for the penalty Garnock missed touch thanks to excellent footballing skills from winger Jonathan Venter (making an impressive 1XV debut) to keep it in with his feet then followed up to regather and dance his way just short of the 22. Garnock infringed at the breakdown and with no hesitation Ross Goodison took it quickly and burst another 15m up field before getting hauled down by the backpedalling Garnock. The ball was spun out though the hands to Aidan Watson who sprinted up and through a gap, held by one hand he offloaded to Rory Bayne who drew in more defenders and crossed the halfway line. Caught, he delivered the ball out the back to John Kelly who burst past the fullback then rocketed the remaining 40m untouched to score between the sticks. What a try! Calum Bruce converted to bring it to 14-21 as the referee blew for halftime.

The second half start stunned Garnock who dropped the kick off. Perthshire now in possession immediately carried with purpose. The ball went out to the other wing then a solid carry by Rhys Darlington in field took in 2 tacklers. In support Ross Goodison picked from the base and went through the gap at the back of the ruck. With 25m to the line, the Garnock fullback could only get a fingertip to him as he dived over. Striking the difficult conversion Calum Bruce levelled it, 21-21.

Garnock fired up and tried to hit back. Some heavy hard runs came into Perthshire but the Black & White wall soaked it up, Calum Chalmers & Simon McGarry chief amongst the tacklers. A Rory Bayne interception relieved the assault then Aidan Watson kicked clear and won a turnover chasing the ball down. The lineout maul won another penalty and this took ‘Shire into the 22. However this was overthrown and the attack ended.

Now Garnock again, patient and determined, worked their way into ‘Shire territory. The momentum swung their way. At the second attempt a lineout maul 5m out crossed the line. Within a few more plays, despite heroic efforts of Dan Rae & Kieran Maclean, they were over again as powerful, not pretty, rugby saw the Ayrshire team cross, 21-35.

With high tackle penalties creeping in ‘Shire were under their own posts for a third time in quick succession as simple forceful runs from Garnock allowed them to hammer the line before bludgeoning over, 21-42.

The substitutes came on: Mat Rae, Will Campbell and Lewis Gray adding energy to ‘Shire as they replaced tired bodies. This helped even things up but some quality offloading from Garnock took them all the way up the pitch to add another converted try, 21-49.

Tom Whamond now came off the bench and made an immediate impact with solid tackles and breakdown work. Perthshire continued to believe and knew one more try would secure a bonus point.

Following an offside penalty ‘Shire took the lineout and played it to the front. Having sucked in the hooker there was a clear 5m blindside which Lewis Murrie spotted and from the base of the ruck covered the 35m to score down the tramlines, shrugging of the desperate tackle of the covering fullback. Despite the wind and tight angle Calum Bruce kept his 100% record with the boot.

In the remaining minutes both teams upped the quality further and played really positive entertaining rugby as they tested their own skills and oppositions’ defence. Lewi Murrie and Ross Goodison making promising breaks. However, it was Garnock who secured their 8th try as their hard running centre broke through, 28-56.

In the final play Perthshire took the ball all the way back to Garnock, the match ending as after a sustained assault ‘Shire were tackled into touch on the try line.

Perthshire can be proud of their performance, Garnock are clear favourites for promotion and have the best defence in the league conceding an average of 11 points per match. To score 28 against them shows that a positive Perthshire can perform at this level. New players like Jonathan Venter & Lewis Gray are adding excitement to the squad while the established players like Dan Rae & (Man-of the-Match) Ross Goodison are playing at their best and bringing on the teammates.

Next week is the return Tour to Pontarddulais followed by a weekend off for the 6 Nations match at Murrayfield, so league action will return on 17th February when both teamswill be on the road. The 1XV travelling to North Berwick and the Eagles away to Strathmore 2XV.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Positivity Shines Through

Perthshire Eagles 19 – 62 Rosyth Sharks

Depleted but determined Eagles put in a shift.

There was a spirit of determination about the Eagles as they lined up for the minute’s silence alongside the 1XV before heading across to the other pitch to face Rosyth.

A few phases in, the Eagles who’d not played since 9th December, felt the under pressure from a well drilled & hard carrying Rosyth. It was not long until the Fife men had opened the scoring.

Undeterred, the backs controlled by AJ Guthrie and Alan Clark were on fire, moving the ball and the point of attack with great plays and striking hard up to the opposition. The pack equally were fronting up creating platforms for these attacks as the match veered back & forth between the teams. It was Rosyth who gained the next score as they eventually broke down the ‘Shire defence.

Straight back from the restart solid carries by James Whyte and Mark Morgan created the momentum. A quick ball from Jack McIntosh allowed AJ Guthrie to put up a sweet crossfield kick. Rab Pittendreigh was there to collect and in space raced to score in the corner.

The match turned into an arm wrestle which favoured the visitors. With a full bench they could rotate their players and keep up the intensity. It was a tough going for Perthshire but spurred by their leaders on the pitch they stuck at it as half time came.

At second half kick off, James Whyte caught the ball and ran it back over 50m before he was stopped. A few quick phases and the Eagles looked dangerous, but the move fizzled out. Still in a good position, when the opportunity came AJ Guthrie sold a dummy pass, baffling the would be tacklers, and slipped for a try.

It was mostly defence for Perthshire now and Rosyth with fresher legs to call upon hammered up and over the line a few more times. Yet the Eagles did not give up.

With the clock running out and the game slowing down in the final plays, Perthshire were still determined to end the match well. A few quick phases up the pitch reignited the game and got Perthshire on the front foot. The ball was chipped over the top and bounce of the ball went the way of Alan Clark who finished the move with a heroic superhero dive over the try line. Time was called, no more rugby to be played.

This team has potential but inconsistency is the main drawback. There are flashes of brilliance, but some roughness too. If a regular team can train and play then the Eagles will start to turn around the results. Well done to Jake Cargill for his Perthshire debut and thanks to Mika Gratzke, Keith Millar and Struan Cattanach-Rodger for coming to help the Eagles.

Photographs from Rosyth Sharks Facebook page.

Whitecraigs 40 – 27 Perthshire

Wind and penalties hamper ‘Shire on the road.

Although Whitecraigs sat third in the table before Saturdays match, Perthshire travelled down with confidence after a convincing win against Ross High and were looking to avenge a tight defeat against Whitecraigs earlier in the season. Despite leaving Perthshire in relative calm, they were met in Newton Mearns by a wind which was howling at an angle across the pitch and a light smirr of wind driven rain which would undoubtedly play its part in how the game was played.

Whitecraigs kicked to Perthshire and had quickly stripped possession to set up a good attacking opportunity within the first couple of minutes of the game. A kick through saw Rory Bayne scampering to gain possession a couple of metres from his own line, however Black and White jerseys managed to retain the ball and win a reprieve when Whitecraigs were penalised at the following ruck which allowed a clearance kick to touch. Although the game ebbed & flowed in the early exchanges, Perthshire were looking good with ball in hand. Powerful carries by James Mair and Calum Chalmers were providing excellent go forward and despite the challenging conditions the backs were looking to attack wide with John Kelly twice being snared by cover defence to prevent a clean break.

Perthshire were playing with advantage however and from the resulting penalty the ball was kicked into the left corner. The forwards then beautifully executed a lineout move straight from the training ground. As the ball was brought down it was fed to a looping Ross Goodison who interested the defence before firing a perfect pass to James Mair who still had work to do but powered through soft shoulders to make it over the line. Calum Bruce’s conversion was almost taken by the wind but glanced the right hand upright on its way through.
Whitecraigs 0 – 7 Perthshire

It was becoming apparent that the referee was prone to favouring the attacking side and with Whitecraigs making some powerful carries Perthshire’s penalty count began to rise. After a series of penalties lead to a Perthshire team warning, Whitecraigs opted to take a scrum on the Perthshire 5m line. Although the initial surge was repelled, a couple of phases later Whitecraigs worked the ball round the corner and were able to power over and score their first try of the afternoon. The successful conversion tying up the scores.
Whitecraigs 7 – 7 Perthshire

The resulting restart was allowed to bounce into touch by the home side and they were almost made to pay for this error after the lineout was stolen and Ross Goodison made a barnstorming run up the touchline to within a couple of metres of the line. Unfortunately, the ball was lost forward in the tackle and Whitecraigs broke out from the scrum attacking wide and making good yards. Again, Perthshire were on the wrong side of the referee and a series of penalties put them under pressure within their own half and on a second team warning from the referee. Almost inevitably a yellow card followed and Calum Bruce was the man sent to the sin bin following a seemingly harsh high tackle penalty. Whitecraigs didn’t take long to make the man advantage count, powering over in the left corner following a lineout. The tricky conversion into the wind was unsuccessful.
Whitecraigs 12 – 7 Perthshire

Perthshire defended the next 5 minutes bravely and some excellent rugby then took them deep into the Whitecraigs 22. Time and again they tried but failed to get over the line, until eventually they kicked a penalty to touch and lost the resultant lineout. Whitecraigs however could not clear their lines and James Mair was able to latch onto the ball on the floor and win a penalty. Having returned to the field, Calum Bruce split the uprights and reduced the deficit to 2 points.
Whitecraigs 12 – 10 Perthshire

After a spell of back and forth, Whitecraigs were next to put together a prolonged period of possession, moving the ball from side to side with powerful carries through the middle they eventually broke down a dogged Perthshire defence to score their third try of the day shortly before halftime. It could have been worse for Perthshire as there was still time before the half for another attack by the home side, however despite knocking on the door for multiple phases Perthshire’s defence held firm and eventually a dropped ball brought about the reprieve of the half time whistle.
Half Time: Whitecraigs 19 – 10 Perthshire

Although the first 10 minutes of the second half were relatively even, Whitecraigs then struck to extend their advantage. It was set up after a free-flowing break down the right wing. Although the initial break was stopped short of the line, a few phases later an offload out of a tackle in the middle of the field allowed a converted try to be scored under the posts.
Whitecraigs 26 – 10 Perthshire

Whitecraigs now had their tails up but despite a period of territorial dominance, Perthshire defended gamely and then from nowhere struck back with a try of their own. As Whitecraigs moved the ball to the left, defensive pressure forced the error and Rory Bayne was fastest to react and hack the ball forward. Despite some awkward bounces his footballing skills allowed him to twice kick the ball forward at full pace and with the ball eventually evading Rory and the cover defence, Rabson Chipakupaku was on hand to scoop up and sprint the final 30 meters to score the try. Calum Bruce was on target with the conversion.
Whitecraigs 26 – 17 Perthshire

Perthshire were hoping to build on this try, however a dropped ball in their own 22 provided Whitecraigs dominant scrum an excellent attacking platform. The backs put it to good use, pulling the ball wide and breaking through down the right side. The conversion took the score to;
Whitecraigs 33 – 17 Perthshire

Undeterred Perthshire continued to try and play free flowing rugby. Some excellent attacking play brought them deep into the Whitecraigs half but again they struggled to capitalise and get the ball over from short range. On this occasion after a number of phases and penalty advantage, a miscommunication in the lineout allowed Whitecraig’s the chance to clear.

Thankfully it proved to be only a temporary reprieve for the home side as Perthshire spun the ball wide from 30m out and Aedan Milne sliced through the defensive line, drew the last defender and passed to John Kelly who had the pace to score in the corner. Calum Bruce was unsuccessful with the touchline conversion into the wind.
Whitecraigs 33 – 22 Perthshire

With the clock ticking down Perthshire were now throwing the ball about in an effort to get a bonus point try and reduce the deficit. Unfortunately, this backfired after a dropped ball on their own 22 provided Whitecraigs the scrum platform to once again cross the Perthshire line. This time it was the Whitecraigs inside centre who stepped inside the sliding defence to score underneath the posts.
Whitecraigs 40 – 22 Perthshire

Desperate to get something from the game, Perthshire turned Whitecraigs over in their own half and began playing expansive rugby in the search for the 4th try. At one stage Perthshire thought they had scored when Aedan Milne chased a kick through however, he was just beaten to the ball and the goal line drop out allowed Whitecraigs to clear.

Despite a monopoly on territory and possession for the last 5 minutes of the game, and numerous penalties and attacking platforms, it took until the 79th minute before Lewis Murrie slipped over in the left corner to secure the bonus point which Perthshire’s efforts deserved. Calum Bruce’s touchline conversion never stood a chance into the gale and the game ended.
Full Time: Whitecraigs 40 – 27 Perthshire

Perthshire’s next match will be at home on January 13th when we will host a double header on the North Inch. The Eagles will play Bannockburn while the 1XV face local rivals Strathmore in what is sure to be an entertaining encounter. Both games kick off at 2pm.

As there are no further games in 2023 it just leaves us to wish all of our members and supporters a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Strathmore 31 – 15 Perthshire

Perthshire defend & defend but can’t resist the pressure.

Perthshire entered Inchmacoble Park knowing they would face not only the 15 men of Strathmore on the pitch but their vocal supporters from Forfarshire assembled to watch the local derby.

It did not start well, Perthshire with the kick off, going short then conceding a penalty at the following scrum. However, after some defending ‘Shire managed to escape and a kick through put them onto the front foot and into Strathmore’s half.

Lineout struggles killed off the momentum and Strathmore kicked ‘Shire back down. Solid defence won a turnover and a quick tap by Lewis Murrie created an opportunity. A few phases later the attack died and returning for a high tackle penalty, Calum Bruce opted to take the shot at goal. It was a tough angle from 35m but he opened the scoring, 0-3.

Quietened temporarily, the home crowd were soon back in full voice as Strathmore crossed the whitewash a couple of minutes later following a sustained period of pressure. It did not take long for their second to arrive off the back of a lineout, 14-3.

The pendulum swung back to Perthshire who mounted a series of assaults on Strathmore’s 22. Eventually they were rewarded when Ross Goodison, further consolidating his transition to a hooker, scored off the back of a 5m lineout maul. Calum Bruce’s conversion just drifting right, 14-8.

The remainder of the first half saw ‘Shire defending hard, but the direct running from Strathmore was proving hard to overcome. Losing Adrian Venter to the sin bin put the Eagles under more pressure but they hung on, keeping a determined Strathmore out until the half time whistle.

The second half resumed where it left off, desperate but resolute defence from 14-man Perthshire holding out and winning turnovers to prevent Strathmore from making use of their numerical advantage.

Though restored to 15, the defence continued and it was the set piece where Perthshire were in the greatest trouble, conceding possession and/or position allowing the hosts to attack again. They scored 2 mirror images tries from the back of 5m lineouts on the left then right side of the pitch to extend their lead 26-8.

For what seemed like ages Perthshire were in their own half, then eventually the tide turned and slowly the Black & White shirts advanced up the pitch and into the opposition half then 22. Numerous phases and attacks came to nothing, then a turnover was spun out by Strathmore to their winger who raced up to halfway. A series of offloads and quick rucks took them to the 5m line on the right corner, then worked back inside and the space opened up for a hard carry to burst over the line, 31-8.

Time was nearly up but Perthshire were not finished. From the restart Tom Colvin was highest and won the ball. Worked to the middle of the pitch the play was switched back and James Whyte found a hole to get in behind. Caught, he offloaded to Calum Chalmers who drew in the last defender before releasing winger Thomas Pounder to dive over in the corner. Calum Bruce made the conversion from the tightest of angles and the referee blew for fulltime, 31-15.

Definitely a better performance from the Eagles but plenty to work on. It’s an away derby again this Saturday as Perthshire travel down the M90 to Dunfermline and seek to make amends for a frustrating loss at the Inch to the Fifers earlier in the season.

Photos taken by Peter Wilkinson.

Perthshire 28 – 27 Murrayfield Wanderers

‘Shire survive late fightback to regain the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup.

After the storms of recent weeks the rain paused and the sun shone on the North Inch. In still, bright conditions the second half of the league fixtures began. Perthshire frustrated sit second from bottom as they have let too many get away in the dying minutes. A large crowd assembled in anticipation of another close match between the two sides as they competed for the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup.

Perthshire kicked off and over the 10m Tom Colvin jumped up high using all his height to gain control. The Black & White shirts surged forward, driven by a series of storming carries from Kieran Maclean. With the penalty advantage scrum half Lewis Murrie sniped down the side of the ruck getting in behind, then a series of short plays by the pack were completed by Ben Marshall barging over for a try. Calum Bruce added the extras, 7-0.

With their first attack Murrayfield Wanderers exploited a huge space on the blindside to cover 50m, the winger only stopped by a brilliant John Kelly cover tackle. Perthshire then went back up the pitch courtesy of Ross Goodison. Taking a quick penalty the players were too excited and spilt the ball in the tackle. Whether the tackler was back the 10m or not the referee waved play on and, on the counter, Murrayfield span it out to the other winger who chipped kick downfield and won the foot race to score an unconverted try.

The whole match was a fairly even affair, probing plays by both teams were not making much headway. Murrayfield tried a long kick and, without panic, Thomas Pounder dived first to save it at the try line then was aided by prompt support to clear. It was short-lived as a high tackle gifted Wanderers a lineout 5m out. A further penalty at the next play was taken quickly and they crossed the whitewash and kicked the points, 7-12.

‘Shire fired right back into it, Tom Colvin winning a penalty from the restart. Murrayfield this time infringed at the lineout in their 22 and the Eagles opted for the scrum. James Mair picked from the base was held but offloaded to Dan Rae who was repelled, just, by the defence. A few quick phases then a switch to the blind side and James Mair finished it with a try. Calum Bruce on target retook the lead for Perthshire, 14-12.

The momentum was with Perthshire but they struggled to finish it off. Promising runs and attacks by Aidan Watson, Laurence Knight and Ross Goodison were not backed up quickly enough. However, the penalty count was against Murrayfield and ‘Shire were given a few more attacking chances, Calum Bruce next to go close, losing the ball in the tackle as he went to score.

The ’Shire scrum was in ascendancy and after another series of opportunities missed, the pressure exerted held in the Wanderers pack. The ball sent out to the right, the forwards went round the corner a couple of times pulling across their opposite numbers, then Lewis Murrie switched the play back to John Kelly who came off his wing, hit a sweet line and muscled over. The angle was favourable for Calum Bruce to extend the lead further, 21-12.

The half ended with the Eagles under some pressure as Murrayfield sought to pull a score back before the break. Sufficient controlled aggression in defence, exemplified by Man of the Match Rhys Darlington, forced Wanderers into mistakes and the referee signalled for half time.

It was a reversal of the penalty count in the opening exchanges. Perthshire were surrendering territory and possession with poor decisions and numerous infringements. Eventually Aidan Watson broke the siege and ‘Shire sprinted after him. Some quick hands and offloads took the play into the 22, then the ball kicked for the chase. Wanderers got to it first but the referee returned for the penalty. However the following lineout was overthrown and Edinburgh team now started to work their way back.

Stretched the ‘Shire line was just holding then the referee sent Captain Calum Chalmers to the sin bin for what he judged a deliberate knock on. With the man advantage Wanderers opted for the scrum. Shell-shocked the defence was soft, as weak tackles allowed in a simple first phase try. Unconverted the lead was cut to less than a score, 21-17.

After a solid shift, Kieran Maclean, was replaced by Cameron Craig who came into a team gone soft and conceding easy metres in defence. Backpedalling the Black & White shirts were disorganised and things looked ominous. Until up stepped James Mair who jackaled to win a penalty and like a switch the belief returned to 14-man Perthshire who could tackle and defend again. Murrayfield were throwing what they could but with little to no inroads now, Vice-Captain Simon McGarry leading by example as his players rallied.

The 7-man scrum won a penalty and momentum was back with Perthshire. The bench came on welcoming AJ Guthrie, Aedan Milne and Adrian Venter to the action. Soon the 10 minutes were up and Calum Chalmers was back on too.

The ‘Shire attacks were making ground but with nothing to show for it. Changing tactic to exploit space tight to ruck, Lewis Murrie & James Mair were causing chaos in the Wanderers defence. The visitors erred too many times and had a player show yellow and sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes after repeated infringements.

Opting for the scrum the pack heaved forward, Rhys Darlington & Cameron Craig bettering their opposite props. Out to the backs, AJ Guthrie delayed the pass to Laurence Knight who got through and battled 2 attempted tacklers to score. Taking over the kicking duties AJ Guthrie converted, 28-17.

Recently ‘Shire have conspired to snatch defeat for the jaws of victory, while there were many on the sidelines hoping this would not happen, the penalty count mounted against the home team. Murrayfield, with only 14 men, used the penalties to get into the 22. Taking a quick tap, a bounce pass to the winger stalled the defence enough for some nifty footwork to dance through and touchdown out wide, unconverted there were just 6 points in it, 28-22.

With less than 10 minutes remaining ‘Shire were making it hard and constantly on the backfoot. Restored to 15, Wanderers seized their opportunities. Only a last gap James Mair effort to dive on a kick stopped another try. Losing patience the referee decided Lewis Murrie was offside once too often and shown yellow.

There were tired bodies on both sides but Murrayfield kept on pushing for the winning score. The Eagles were holding on but eventually the line was stretched too thin and breached. The conversion would take the lead, but the kick struck the post and ‘Shire were still in front, 28-27.

There were 2 minutes left, and the restart went short. Wanderers had the midfield scrum and the extra player. They got into the ‘Shire half and within range, but the discipline held and Adrian Venter seized the moment to pounce and win a ruck penalty.

Perthshire booted it down but then fluffed the lineout. This was compounded by a few more penalties and Murrayfield were back in ‘Shire territory. The final plays were desperate, Wanderers trying & probing everywhere, the Eagles tackling while trying to maintain iron discipline. Eventually with the 22 beckoning the ball was knocked on the referee consulted his watch and blew for full time.

Exhaustion from both sides was the main response. Even the supporters took a bit of time for their heart-rates to come down. Outscored by 5 tries to 4 it was the assured kicking of Calum Bruce & AJ Guthrie that was the difference. Having clapped their opponents off the pitch Perthshire gathered and Claire Pattinson presented Calum Chalmers with the Adam Pattinson Memorial Cup.

This was the last of 3 matches to conclude on the North Inch. In the earlier kick-off the Colts put up a strong fight but after an even first half were overrun by 10-50 by Melrose Wasps. The Eagles (2XV) lost 7-70, following numerous injuries the match ended up 12-a-side against Strathmore 2XV. The sole try scored by Hector Inglis, converted by Mikey Evans. Despite those results both teams put out full squads and player numbers have started to build.

Next week the Men’s teams are both away: the 1XV travel down to Stewartry; while the Eagles trip takes them to Bo’ness. These matches will be targeted for wins. Head Coach Smudge has plenty to build on and areas to tighten up as the teams seek to convert more opportunities into victories.

Photos taken by Football East Region.