Rugby: Mercenaries a good fit for hard-hitting spring athletes in Lake County
It may not be your typical spring sport just yet, but based on recent years, boys rugby is definitely a sport that is growing and becoming more popular in the state of Illinois.
After beginning their existence with the Mundelein Park District three years ago, the Lake County Mercenaries this year moved to Gurnee, where they compete out of the Grandwood Park District.
Former Mundelein wrestling coach and current Antioch assistant wrestling coach Vinny Jiuditta is the head coach of the Mercenaries. The 26-player squad includes players from Antioch, Lakes, Libertyville, Mundelein and Warren high schools.
After serving as an assistant coach for Lake Forest's boys rugby team, Jiuditta realized that the cost of about $350-400 was just too expensive for most players. So he decided to start the Lake County combined team in 2014.
The Mercenaries are off to a 1-2 start this season in the Rugby Illinois League. They beat the West Suburban Bulls 22-17 at their Grandwood Park home field in Gurnee (36650 N. Hutchins Rd.), and Jiuditta, a longtime rugby aficionado, is optimistic about the future of his team as well as the sport overall.
"I have played the sport for over 23 years," said Jiuditta, who played rugby and football and also wrestled at Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He also started the Lake County Gladiators men's rugby club in 2003. "We're trying to build a bigger program. We want athletes with a lot of heart, and I can teach them the rest. We supply jerseys, shorts and socks. They need cleats and a mouthpiece."
Rugby, which has 15 players on each side, began in Europe in the 1800s and became American football as we know it today.
"It's like football without pads. That is the best way to describe it," said Jiuditta, who mentioned Lakecountyrugby.org for people who are interested in possibly joining the team or learning more about the program. "It's for kids who are aggressive. It combines running the ball and tackling people. That is the name of the game."
The Mercenaries feature many outstanding area wrestlers, including Mundelein senior Alec Riportella (outside center), who is the top scorer on the team. He placed sixth in the state wrestling meet this winter at 120 pounds.
Other top players include Mundelein seniors Kamil Olechno (lock) and Cesar Obispo (8-man), who were also key members of the wrestling team this past season.
Lakes senior Jeremy Sasser (wing forward) is a top defensive player for Lake County, while Antioch senior Nick Dorosan (inside center) is one of the top scorers for the team.
Other key all-around players on the squad include Mundelein senior Jovanny Castenada (scrum half), Lakes senior Jack Grant (wing forward) and Libertyville senior Owen Hasler (prop).
The three-division Rugby Illinois League has 40 varsity teams from as far south as Champaign, Bloomington and Peoria, and it has been around for 15 years.
"A lot of our guys are football players and wrestlers, and I think it is growing pretty big," said Jiuditta, who hopes his team can make a push for the state finals in Rockford on Memorial Day weekend. "I think there can be 60 teams in the next few years, and it is back in the Olympics, so that is a pretty big thing too."
With more experienced teams like Lake Forest and Glen Ellyn standing in the way, reaching the Final Four state finals in Rockford may be a tall task this season. The Mercenaries hope to beat Palatine, Rockford and Elgin in regular-season games leading up to the state playoffs.
"I think if we can win out we can be in the state finals," Jiuditta said. "We've got a lot of young guys, so they need to get experience under their belts and we'll be all right."