Photo: Carly Minnick
The Chargers repeated as the Rugby Indiana fall champions, this time adding a touch 7s title to the Carroll-area program’s extensive trophy case. There was a period of adjustment – both emotional and tactical – as teams reconciled with the low-contact version of the sport, but teams like the Chargers embraced the positives and the opportunity to compete.
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“For me, especially at the beginning, and with the other seniors who are playing in our last year of high school, with our coach and with this team, it was a little bit discouraging,” fourth-year Delaney Fosnaugh said of the touch season. “But being a part of this team and bonding with my teammates is a bigger deal than the sport itself, and it was important to remember that.”
Fosnaugh found rugby in spring 2018 during freshman year at Carroll High School. The girls’ team was just coming into existence, and Fosnaugh and friends were looking for an activity to pursue together.
“I fell in love with the atmosphere, and my teammates,” Fosnaugh said of rugby’s hook. “The team was a lot of really athletic players who came together to learn the sport. Seniors to freshmen, we were all brand new to the sport when I joined, so we all started at the same level. That was really cool and helped us grow together.”
Photo: Carly Minnick
The team experienced immediate success, as recounted by head coach Kris Carroll, and Fosnaugh developed into a speedy, smart contributor, playing in the 15s pack, scrumhalf, and every position in 7s.
“I’m a well rounded individual and really vocal as well,” Fosnaugh said of her attributes. “Rugby is really a communication-based sport. There is a lot of strategy but you’ll get a better result if you’re vocal on the field. That’s helped me.
“I don’t have any preference between 7s and 15s,” she added. “I’m pretty fast, though, so I like 7s, but it’s more of an individual sport than 15s, which makes broader use of the team and has more unity.”
By the time senior year arrived, Fosnaugh was well versed in applying one’s strengths in the pursuit of a team goal – a skill that had eluded her while participating in more individual activities, like cross country. The team sport readied her for a major life decision, which evolved during the summer while Covid-19 canceled rugby through much of the world. In mid-July, the 17-year-old enlisted in the Army National Guard.
Photo: Cary Gerber
“I’ve always wanted to be in the Army, and rugby has played a big part in developing my character for that,” Fosnaugh said. “I was really independent before rugby and had my own skills, but the sport helped me develop team-leading skills that I didn’t have before, and that will carry over to the Army.”
The Army National Guard is the perfect fit for Fosnaugh in that she wants to attend college and pursue a career in fashion. After basic training in July-October 2021, she intends to enroll at Purdue University, which the Army will pay for, in spring 2022.
“While in college, I could get deployed or can volunteer to be deployed. I’ve always been interested in that – traveling and being a part of something,” Fosnaugh said. “I could be gone for a semester or so while deployed, which is fine by me. I plan on a getting a bachelor’s degree but it might take longer than four years.”
Fosnaugh made these decisions before senior year commenced, so there was still work to be done closer to home. She had spent the summer focusing on fitness and endurance training, and then the team reunited in August.
Photo: Cary Gerber
“It was different, but in a good way, mostly because we had a lot of new, younger players,” Fosnaugh said of the reunion. “Playing touch, and with all these new characters, it was like learning a new game with a new team. It was an interesting dynamic. A new defense, a new offense, a different sport.”
Chargers captain Kate Woenker righted the team’s championship mindset, and Fosnaugh noted that her relationship with the fellow senior strengthened this fall.
“Yes, I would have loved to play tackle, but since we were playing touch, we could now work on things that we wouldn’t normally have time to work on,” she continued. “For me, that was footwork. I was able to make more plays than before, simply because I had the time at practice to dedicate to things like that. The team learned new defensive techniques – things that will carry over to the spring and we’ll build on that.”
The varsity side had its core of veterans and then coach Carroll worked in some young talent to experiment with chemistry.
“I love that he does that,” Fosnaugh said. “He likes to give some new players a shot at the varsity team and see if it’s a good fit.”
Fosnaugh has been impressed with sophomore Courtney Krohn, an impactful up-and-comer with great energy.
The first three weeks of competition evolved without match scores, but the Chargers welcomed the out-of-state challenge from Rogue River, a Grand Havens, Mich., side. Come championship weekend, the Chargers were feeling good about their odds.
“In general it’s tougher to score in touch,” Fosnaugh said of the confidence heading into the final tournament. “There aren’t as many tries than in the tackle game and it’s blatantly obvious that it’s harder to do. Defense is stronger and it’s hard to break away. But we were pretty confident that we could focus and work the ball.”
The Chargers won the final tournament for the fifth-straight season, and Fosnaugh scored the final try of the championship.
“When the whistle sounded – game over – everyone started screaming, and it was great,” Fosnaugh said. “It was an amazing moment, especially for this season because it’s so unique. It wasn’t the most ideal season but it’s so gratifying when you come together and achieve something like this.”
The Chargers will now move into off-season conditioning starting this month and then hope Covid-19 is a concern of the past come spring 2021. If not, watch for Fosnaugh in uniform and then Purdue kit, as the Fort Wayne native carries the legacy of the Chargers forward.