The Loyola rugby team lost the semi-finals of the Deep South Conference to University of West Florida at Pensacola, Florida on Saturday, March 26.

The score was 30-14, in favor of the Argos, but there were no excuses from the Wolfpack.

“They were just a better team. Their backline had more experience than ours. They pushed it like they intended. We shocked them though. They’re not used to being hit,” team captain Alex Weed said.

Loyola scored twice during the last half of the game.

“We won the last 20 minutes of the match. We were losing, but I challenged them to win it and they did. The team never quit. I was so proud of them,” said coach Sam Brock.

It has been six years since Loyola made it to the playoffs. A team mostly made up of inexperienced freshmen brought the school back.

“They understand the game. Every match, we were getting better. It was trial and error, a lot of flags and lost meters. After a while, the mistakes were less and less. Western Florida had more flags than us,” said Weed.

Coach Brock agreed.

“Our biggest improvement is the knowledge of the game. We don’t make as many mistakes. We don’t beat ourselves anymore. If we lose, it’s because they were better.”

Even with the loss, the team was excited about being a part of the playoffs.

“It was really good. The players took a lot from that experience. It ups the goal and increases expectations. Our goal was to make playoffs. Ten minutes after we lost, the players were talking about winning the conference next year,” said Brock.

That may be a possibility. According to Weed, most rival schools are losing their senior players next year, while Loyola will continue to grow.

“They’re freshmen now. Imagine them in four years. Teams are on their toes thinking about playing us next year,” said Weed.

Michael Sanchez can be reached at [email protected]