The Warsaw Area Rugby Club girls team was state runner-up Saturday (Photo provided by Trevor Cracknell)

ELKHART – The Warsaw Area Rugby Club girls team capped another stellar season Saturday.

The team earned a runner-up finish with a 34-24 loss to North Central High School out of Indianapolis in the Division I state championship match.

North Central topped Warsaw 34-24 in the season finale played at the Moose Rugby Grounds.

Sydney Sargis led the way for Warsaw by scoring two tries. Tahya Bruce and Alexis Devenney each scored one. All three are sophomores.

Gabrielle Cretcher, a junior from Triton High School, converted two conversion kicks for Warsaw in the match.

“North Central is a very good team which has won multiple state championships,” said Warsaw coach Trevor Cracknell. “They have good coaches and a large number of players. The Warsaw ladies played well all game but we’re never able to take the lead. It was as one of our parents put it a bittersweet day as they were coming back on North Central, scoring two late tries only to run out of time in the game.

“To make it to the state finals is a great achievement but to do it two years is even more impressive. This group of young ladies have worked hard all season. They are great fun to be around and a credit to their parents and this community.”

Warsaw had seven first-year players this season and played much of the season with 15 players, the number required for a team.

The team had just two seniors in Allyson Walls and Makinzie Hoagland.

Warsaw, which was ranked No. 1, finishes the season with a mark of 8-1.

The outstanding quarter of Hoagland, Cretcher, Maria Duenas and Hannah Garcia all earned All-State honors for the team.