Dave Snyder’s first season ended pretty much before it began.
This was common around Indiana spring high school sports in 2020, with Covid-19 restrictions changing sports along with the rest of the world.
Snyder, who took over as coach of the Royal Irish Rugby Society this year after a decade as an assistant, said that made for a frustrating and disappointing mid-March and April. But he said that frustration in no way diminishes what the team’s players meant to the program – or where the program will go in the future.
“You could really feel how close everybody had already gotten this season,” Snyder said. “But you see the bigger picture.”
The Royal Irish Rugby Society, like all Indiana high school spring sports, had its 2020 season canceled by regulations addressing Covid-19. Snyder said the Royal Irish, a team up of athletes from Cathedral, Brebeuf Jesuit and Bishop Chatard, managed to play one game – a high-profile game against national perennial power Cleveland (Ohio) St. Edwards High School before the pandemic began postponing sports in mid-March.
The Irish rallied for a victory in that match, the only match the program played before all high school Indiana spring sports were canceled in early April.
“We were really very developmental; everything was really just ready to start rolling,” Snyder said. “It was real disappointing.”
Covid-19 meant a sudden end to an inaugural season as head coach for Snyder, who took over one of the top programs in the state and nation when longtime head coach Scott Peterson retired following the 2019 season.
“He’s a very good friend of mine, and it was something where I wanted to be successful even for him – to be comfortable with his position about retiring,” he said. “It’s hard. You want to make sure you left a legacy that will continue. We were happy that he left us the proper tools to get it done.
“It was crazy to have all this happen. It was really a shock.”
The ’20 Royal Irish featured five seniors from Cathedral: Danny Brady, twins Demetrio and Vincent Constantino, Emmitt Williams and Tyler Wagner. Brady played for the program as a junior in 2019, with the Costantinos joining the program in 2020 and expected to play a major role as seniors. Smith had been with the program since his freshman year.
Also expected to be key this season was David Guhl, a junior from Cathedral who was going to serve as team captain and who is expected play a major role in 2021.
Snyder said particularly encouraging before the pandemic was that the program’s numbers remained strong. After starting with comparatively few players when training began in December, numbers increased dramatically as the season approached.
“It took a little longer than we’re used to when players finally started showing up,” Snyder said. “Suddenly we were up to 45 guys on the roster, which was really reassuring. So, we were looking to retain that same methodology that we always do.”
Peterson said a strong foundation led by the team’s parent board also bodes well for the program’s future.
“That was one of the big things that happened this year,” Snyder said. “Our parent board has been a huge part of the season. We started preparing for the season last July, and started the Royal Irish Youth Rugby program. We’re really embracing our feeder system and are bringing them in.
“That’s really going to help us stay consistent and help us maintain our numbers and our success.”
And while the entire Royal Irish Rugby program – players, coaches and supporters – were disappointed by how the season ends, Snyder said there was a common understanding of what mattered during a difficult time.
“It’s a real mature group,” Snyder said. “They see the bigger picture of what’s more important, and that everybody has made these sacrifices. It was impressive to see they all took it the right way. It’s got to be disappointing when you know you’ve worked hard and it’s just starting.
“Hopefully, that will just kind of propel us into next season. You’ve just got to keep moving forward.”