Lady Buzzards capture state rugby title

by Melissa Martin

Highland High School’s girls rugby team defeated the Walnut Hills Eagles 49-0 on June 5 to capture the state club-level championship.

The Lady Buzzards’ forwards shut down the Eagles’ power game, and Highland’s backs showed their speed. Tries were scored by Megan Wylie (two), Gaby Miller (two), Jordyn Barr (two) and Jessica Sambor (one). Olivia Scavuzzo was seven for seven on conversion kicks, said head coach Dave Sambor.

Highland was 8-1 for the season, losing only to Brunswick.

“They conditioned well and played together as a unit,” Sambor said. “As a result, watching them play was very impressive. There’s a fairly good chance Highland won’t see anything like this team again for several years – maybe never.”

Sambor, who has never played rugby, became head coach in the fall of 2018 after having a successful run as the coach of Highland Middle School’s girls Division 3 team. At the time, he said, the high school did not have a girls rugby team because of a lack of interest. That changed once his middle school team moved up to high school.

“Every year, the popularity of the team ebbs and flows because it’s not a sport that’s sanctioned by the Ohio High School Athletic Association,” Sambor said, adding that the school permits team members to earn letters as if it were a varsity sport. Like the boys team, the girls play the full-tackle version of rugby.

The Lady Buzzards started in the league’s developmental bracket, ending their 2019 season with a record of 8-2-1. The girls continued to improve their skills and teamwork, but the 2020 season was shut down because of COVID-19.

“The only matches we played last year were in the Ruggers tournament in North Carolina,” Sambor said, adding that the team went 2-1-1 before the season was canceled.

Losing the last game of the abbreviated season turned into a good omen.

“After that game, we got so many compliments from the team we lost to, and they were really good,” Sambor said. “The other team, which ended up winning nationals, couldn’t help but recognize the character of Highland’s athletes.”

The pandemic did not get in the way of preparing for the 2021 season, Sambor said.

“What I’ve tried to show these girls over the past few years is that they could all have unique individual talents but that couldn’t take them nearly as far as their commitment to support each other win or lose,” he said.  “As a result, the chemistry and culture of this team is fantastic. The girls love it and they have fun, but having each other’s backs and having that tenacity is what has made them champions.”

All but five of Highland’s starting 15 players will return next season, which means there is talent to build on.

“There’s expectations of this team right now,” Sambor said. “The level of play has been elevating every year, and the girls are beginning to see the benefits of that.”

 Sambor said the players are building a “winning culture” and plan to pass the tradition along to the next generation of players.

“We do our best to encourage and develop leadership among our team captains,” he said. “I’ve had so many parents come up to me telling me how they’ve watched their once quiet and shy daughters blossom as a result of playing on this team. That kind of confidence helps in all walks of life and it’s been so fun to watch them grow.”

That empowerment has served the team well. After all, where else can young women get their aggressions out better than tackling an opponent, Sambor joked. All seven graduating seniors will play rugby in college. Two players, Jessica Sambor and Marley Wylie, received scholarships to play at Division II  Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina.

Sambor said he constantly reminds his players not to lose sight of who they are as individuals or as a team.

“It comes down to the fact that we’ll take sportsmanship over titles any day of the week,” he said. “That’s always been our motto, and that’s not going to stop now.” ∞