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Chaney fields first rugby team
Cowboys aren’t all rookies as East veterans are onboard
By Dan Hiner
Youngstown
Although its the Chaney High School rugby team’s first season, the Cowboys have some veteran experience.
The Cowboys have 25 players on their roster, eight were on East’s state championship team in 2018.
Players like Rashawn Perkins, Anthony Pratt and Elijiah Smith have evolved from first-time players to coaches on the field.
Last spring, Perkins was named the MVP of the Division III state championship game. He made an open-field tackle and forced a turnover, allowing East to pull away in the second half.
In a recent practice, Perkins and Smith were helping players understand spacing and where to aim while passing.
“I’m taking it slow with just me and my other teammates, helping them out,” Perkins said. “I’m think from last year that I’ll play with the same people from this year, but the city changed it to Chaney having their own activities so I’m just helping them out.”
The Cowboys have students from Girard, Ursuline and Cardinal Mooney on the roster. Pratt, a Girard student, is a team captain.
The team also features Shawn Rollins, a Canfield senior. Rollins played for Chaney head coach Bill Burton on a rugby club team three years ago. He also transferred from East to Canfield as a sophomore.
Rollins was on the East rugby roster last season and joined after players asked him to join last year.
“My role is to teach the new players what the game is like and show ‘em where they’re supposed to go,” Rollins said.
Burton was the coach at East last season, but took over the Cowboys after Youngstown City Schools rebuilt Chaney athletics.
“I loved my time at East. I loved the kids, loved the neighborhood, loved the school, loved the administration,” Burton said. “It wasn’t an easy decision coming to Chaney in the first place. But [YCS athletic director Rick Shepas] approached me about it.
“The pull to the home school was big, and being a part of building [rugby] at my alma mater was ultimately why I came over.”
The Cowboys are 0-1 after a 19-15 loss to state runner-up Shaker Heights on March 13.
Last season, most of the East roster had never played rugby. This year, the players have taken over some of the coaching, helping younger or first-time players understand the rules and basics of the sport.
“At the beginning of the year, half the players didn’t even know how to pass the ball in general,” Pratt said. “You gotta get used to throwing the ball that much and trust in your teammates to catch the ball and just start running.”
The Cowboys will host Moon Township on Monday for their second gam.
“I have my team captains that can take a guys out on the field and move him back to where he’s supposed to be at,” Burton said. “We’re gelling a lot faster.
“We’re picking the game up pretty good. I’m excited about the season, I think we’re gonna have a nice run.”