After an eight year drought, the fall rugby title returned to Lincroft this October.

CBA Rugby finished its fall sevens season with two major accomplishments: a state title for the varsity squad and a state title for the U16 JV team. It is the first time since 2016 that the varsity team has won the New Jersey sevens championship.

Overall, it is the fourth sevens state title in program history, following 2014, 2015 and 2016.

“As a senior captain, being able to lead the team to our first major win like that means a lot to me,” Keegan O’Connor ‘25 said. O’Connor scored an important try in the semifinal match and played a key defensive role throughout the season at his prop position.

The Colts saved their best for last on October 20, running through the state sevens tournament by defeating Bergen Catholic (32-5), Morris (36-0) and St. Augustine (17-14) before a final matchup against Union.

CBA topped Union, 31-12, in the state title match, finishing off a strong season in which the Colts went 17-3 overall and won the Union Tournament on September 29 in the process.

The Colts saw significant contributions from juniors Jordon Young, Fionn Moroney and Cole Ryan. Ryan, who led the team in tries this season with 21, added two tries in the final against Union. Moroney led the team in scoring with 183 points, including scoring two tries in the title match.

“It means everything,” said Young. “Through all of the hard work our team went through, just seeing the boys grow, and being able to lead this team in a game like that means everything to me. It was an amazing experience.”

Head Coach Pat Moroney’s team exemplified the principles that he set for them at the start of the season. Although the teams play their games at their respective levels, they complete their warmups and fitness work together. The older players set the example for the younger ones, showing them what the expectations are for the program.

"Young had a fantastic day winning many kickoffs, scoring four tries, strong tackles, and counter rucks," Moroney said. "Our solid defensive showing led to many turnover tries across the day."

O’Connor, who has been a part of the rugby team since his sophomore year, also played one of the biggest roles in the team’s success this season. He is already looking forward to the spring season, where CBA will look to capture the state fifteens title as well.

“Nothing will feel better than sweeping state champs twice in a year," O’Connor said. “We’re pretty motivated for the spring season.”