The West Ottawa rugby team trailed 40-17 with 15 minutes standing between them and a spot in the state finals.
The Panthers scored 17 unanswered points to pull within 40-34 – just one score behind. West Ottawa had the ball on the 1-meter line but as time expired, the Panthers couldn’t get it across the line.
The score remained 40-34, sending Detroit Catholic Central to the finals.
“It was heartbreaking,” West Ottawa coach Daniel Garrett said.
The grit of the Panthers stemmed from the leadership of Alex Carrier, who has been selected as the Holland Sentinel Rugby Player of the Year.
“Alex is a true leader. Physically, mentally and inspirational. He has complete respect from his teammates and coaches, largely because he is the first to serve others,” Garrett said. “Alex understands that it is not about him, it is about putting others first. If he scores, he will quickly give credit to the guy next to him for supporting him across the line. Alex has been a joy to coach this year and was also truly fun to watch play and lead the game of rugby.”
Carrier, who earned first-team all-state the past two seasons, had five points in the semifinals. Daniel Bosma had 14 and Noah Bosman added 10.
Carrier led the Panthers in trys with 11 and was 1-for-1 on conversion kicks. With one season to go in his high school career, he already has 77 total points, 17th in West Ottawa history.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: West Ottawa’s Alex Carrier named Sentinel Rugby Player of the Year, leading team to semifinals
Reporting by Dan D’Addona, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan D'Addona, Holland Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
