STEUBENVILLE, Ohio—Franciscan Rugby played another shut out in its fourth straight win of the season, scoring 48-0 against Fairmont State University.  

Head coach Chris Courtnell said that preparing for the match against a previously undefeated Fairmont, the FUS team expected a challenging game.

"They're always a tough team with big boys who like to hit it up the middle and put their stamp of authority on the game," Courtnell said. "We made sure that when they had their hands on the ball we put them under pressure, knocking them into the ground, forcing them into making mistakes. Then, when we got the ball, we did what we do best, getting into the gaps, hitting the holes and running in."

The Barons came out aggressively with five tries and three conversions to pull ahead of Fairmont, dominating the score 31-0 at the half.

Ten minutes into the second half, junior Jimmy Kueber broke away and sprinted toward the try zone, handing the ball off to senior Clayton Lang for the team's sixth try. The Barons finished it off with another conversion and continued to keep the action on Fairmont's side of the pitch.

Courtnell said the men focused on the basics and getting the ball out wide to use their speed to find holes in the opposing team's lineup.

Two players who particularly demonstrated the ability to monopolize Fairmont's weak spots were sophomore Jeff Baldwin and Kueber who was named Man of the Match.

Baldwin scored three of the Barons' eight tries while Kueber moved from his usual position in the pack to inside center where he created several scoring opportunities for the team.

"Jimmy's never played inside center before," Courtnell said. "He had to really step up today and he did it flawlessly. He commanded the position. It was beautiful. He did everything perfectly."

Courtnell added that due to injuries and strategy adjustments, his players have had to adjust and learn several new positions, but Kueber was unfazed.

"At the end of the day, you're just playing rugby," Kueber said. "There are a lot of little things you have to know position-wise, but during the game it was easy.  As soon as I started playing, I realized even though it was a different spot on the field, it was the same game."  

Courtnell added that the standouts' performances enabled the rest of the team to give one hundred percent.

"Everybody that's coming in is putting their body on the line for their brothers, and that's what we work on week in and week out:  playing Franciscan rugby," Courtnell said. "We don't play for ourselves, we play for our each other and we play for God.  That mindset comes from our heads when we focus, but it also comes from in our hearts in our passion and love for each other."

With a 4-0 record and half of the season under their belts, Kueber said the Barons are excited about their success.

"It's amazing. Each win is such a blessing," Kueber said. "It makes us feel so good as a team because we work so hard to win for each other. This game is selfless. We don't play for ourselves, we play for each other."

Courtnell said regardless of the record, the important thing is the rugger's improvements and game-by-game performances.

"When we cross the white line, we focus on being ready to go," Courtnell said. "We're ready to die for each other out on that field; we make sure our opposite numbers can't live with us, and we do it for eighty minutes. That's what we'll continue to do. "

The Barons will play their next match at Allegheny College on September 27 at 5pm.