In spite of a number of ball-related delays, Old Gaelic was able to run away with a preseason victory, 52-26 over the Potomac Exiles. The passing was crisp, the play fast and the Gold capitalized with eight tries on the day.
Center Max Dell’Anno got the scoring started first with a pick and go after an attempted Potomac clearance kick was returned by wing Kellan Walker. Shortly after, Dell’Anno’s running mate at center London Johnson jammed down hard, intercepted a Potomac pass and outraced the defense for the team’s second score.
Gaelic was tested early with a blocked kick, returned for a try to tighten the scoreline. But it was all Gaelic after that. Not even the particular Sir’s issue with the size of Gaelic’s balls (PERC found them to be a perfect size) could derail the Gaelic, as the continued to pour it on after a number of delays.
Photo credit: ChatGPT. This was made with AI. But also did very much happen.
Eight man Alex Schlager teamed with srcum half Lucas Schneider and wing Alex Schaefer to execute perfectly down the sideline, then Johnson found space again before passing inside to fullback Chris Armbrust on his way to 13 total points with four conversions on the day to go with the try.
Next, veteran flanker Paul Holmes had a break, found Dell’Anno, who then put away Schlager, who also scored shortly after on the wide channel near the goal line. Schneider also got in on the act with a cheeky pick, before Kory Harris hit a drop goal penalty for a 44-19 lead. Potomac would score after that, then another series of penalties allowed the cagey vet Alex Diegel to find paydirt to close the game with the final score, 52-26.
Old Gaelic Survives DeflateGate Controversy, Defeats PERC 52-26
Photo Credit Kathy Hartzell
In spite of a number of ball-related delays, Old Gaelic was able to run away with a preseason victory, 52-26 over the Potomac Exiles. The passing was crisp, the play fast and the Gold capitalized with eight tries on the day.
Center Max Dell’Anno got the scoring started first with a pick and go after an attempted Potomac clearance kick was returned by wing Kellan Walker. Shortly after, Dell’Anno’s running mate at center London Johnson jammed down hard, intercepted a Potomac pass and outraced the defense for the team’s second score.
Gaelic was tested early with a blocked kick, returned for a try to tighten the scoreline. But it was all Gaelic after that. Not even the particular Sir’s issue with the size of Gaelic’s balls (PERC found them to be a perfect size) could derail the Gaelic, as the continued to pour it on after a number of delays.
Photo credit: ChatGPT. This was made with AI. But also did very much happen.
Eight man Alex Schlager teamed with srcum half Lucas Schneider and wing Alex Schaefer to execute perfectly down the sideline, then Johnson found space again before passing inside to fullback Chris Armbrust on his way to 13 total points with four conversions on the day to go with the try.
Next, veteran flanker Paul Holmes had a break, found Dell’Anno, who then put away Schlager, who also scored shortly after on the wide channel near the goal line. Schneider also got in on the act with a cheeky pick, before Kory Harris hit a drop goal penalty for a 44-19 lead. Potomac would score after that, then another series of penalties allowed the cagey vet Alex Diegel to find paydirt to close the game with the final score, 52-26.
Man of the Match: London Johnson
Viking: Alex Schlager
Have a Rich Time at the Old Gaelic Golf Tournament
Led by first-time organizer Rich Recordon, the Old Gaelic Rugby gold Tournament is back! Old Gaelic’s primary fundraiser — will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Rich Valley Golf Course. We have room for 144 players on a first-come-first-taken basis.
When reached for comment, Recordon stated, “Diegel’s reign of incompetence is over. He doesn’t even know how golf works and still thinks high scores win games. I’ve told him again and again that the scoring doesn’t work like rugby, but his eyes just glaze over and he nods and smiles every time someone brings up math or numbers.”
The tournament is a four-man scramble and begins with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Please see the documents below for more information on the tournament and for sponsorship availability.
Join now! With plenty of prizes, you just might get Rich! Click here to submit your foursomes.
For any questions regarding the tournament, ask anyone but Diegel.
Overzealous Volunteer Rugby Coaches Mumbles He Will “Keep an Eye on It” as Lightning Storm Threatens Practice
As Old Gaelic reached the midpoint of its last practice ahead of its first preseason game, acting coach Alex Diegel wasn’t finished. Having just gotten into the finer details of the team’s defensive philosophies, there was still a slate of drills left to finish the night’s work. That’s when lightning struck overhead. Again. And again.
“Ok. First we set the post, then we fold around to our A-B-C positions,” Diegel rambled on amongst the strikes. “Then, against a full backline, we add our 1-2-3 defenders to mark the threats. It’s all about the picture the other team shows us. And, uh… we’ll keep an eye on it,” he said with a nonchalant glance at the strikes of lightning that threatened overhead.
Fortunately, cooler heads and a series of nervous glances caused the whistle to be blown and chalk talk to be continued in the shed. However, when the team went 5/10 on lineouts in the ensuing match, a critical session that was cut short in the Thursday training, Diegel could be heard grumbling on the sideline, “I knew we should have thrown them up in the middle of the damned lightning.”
Classifieds
Wanted: Sideline ball bump. Call Max Wanted: More dudes for golf. Call Rich. Wanted: Pristine lineout sets. Call Diegel
Old Gaelic defended its undefeated start with a 50-17 win in Voorhees, Township, New Jersey on Saturday. In what has become something of a trend, the visitors used a huge second half to secure the victory.
South Jersey notched the first try of the game from its elusive fullback, before the Gaelic responded with a try down the middle from wing Gabe Arroyo. South Jersey then sustained possession and scored down the right sideline before an intercept-try seemed to give the home team the momentum, 17-5. The visiting Gold squad settled into the game, however, and closed the gap before halftime with a try from fullback Chris Armbrust on a good counter kick return. From there, it was all Gaelic.
Arroyo scored back to back tries to open the second half and give OG a lead it would not relinquish. Outside center Kory Harris followed up with a try, to add to his tally of five conversions throughout the day. Two tries from #12 Hunter Hertzog sandwiched one from prop Broc Shives, and Harris’ final conversion marked the score, 50-17.
On the whole, it was a business-like approach to a match that saw a number of players starting in different positions and covering a number of spots that won the day. Shoutouts to a potent second half offense and strong defense that has yet to allow a league point through three games.
MOTM: Gabe Arroyo for the hat trick and strong play throughout the day. (Substitute Chugger: Porter Miller, who also had a strong day at 8 man).
Viking: Prop/Second row Russ Kane who put in a hard 50 in his first start for the D2 squad in five years to provide a steady and physical veteran presence in the pack.
In case you missed it:
It was a shockingly similar script and score from last week’s 50-15 home win over Doylestown.
Try Scorers: Flanker Paul Holmes (2), lock Alex Diegel, centers Hertzog and Harris, eight man Mike DeFreitas, wing Tyler Johnson, and fullback Chris Armbrust (2).
Old Gaelic traveled down 83 on a beautiful October Saturday taking on first place North Bay in a top of the table match. With a star-studded backline, OG knew it would have to bring the grit to take home the W and regain its place on top of the division standings.
The visitors struck first with an opening blow about 15 minutes into the match, as lock JT Hammond pounded it in after a series of picks got the Gaelic close. North Bay swung back with two straight tries and a conversion to take 12-5 lead. With the game getting close to halftime, rookie back Lucas Schneider scooped up a dropped box kick, offloaded before he hit the deck to Sergio Acala, who swung the ball wide to wing Alex Schaefer, who then popped to reserve center Alex Schlager (Alex2Alex2.0). Center Tyler Johnson, kicking for injured Captain Brady, slotted the conversion to make it 12-all. That scored held as the combatants took the halftime break.
Early in the second half, the North Bay outside center got loose and the home team regained a 7-point lead after the conversion. Next it was Gaelic with a powerful try from prop Broc Shives after another series of picks got the Gold close. With the game knotted up, center Max De’llano, recently returned from a first half injury, broke through the North Bay line for the bounceback try, and the Johnson conversion knotted it up again, 26-all.
Shortly after, eight man Lee Townsend picked off a NB pass and took it back to paydirt for the 33-26 lead, but there was still plenty more work to be done. After North Bay regained the lead but missed the conversion, Gaelic again pounded the ball deep in the hosts’ territory. The trusty pack inched closer and closer with yet another series of picks before Acala broke the line to seal the game, with the conversion making the final score 40-31.
In the short match, a short-handed Silver side put up a strong fight with five tries, but ultimately fell short to North Bay. Down three tries to nothing, Townsend doubling up for some action at wing, kicked deep and recovered his own to give Gaelic a spark. The visitors came out firing in the second half, with four tries. Two thundering RJ Fisher tries sandwiched veteran prop Levi Harmon’s. Paul Holmes threw on the boots to help close the match and scored the game’s final try; veteran Dean Ashton played a steady 12 and chipped in with two conversions.
Old Gaelic Rugby 