The top-ranked Iowa Central rugby team gave the home fans something to cheer about, posting a 29-21 victory over Marian here Saturday at Crimmins Field.

After racing out to an early lead, the Tritons were able to hold off Marian, who made the trip all the way over from Indianapolis.

"Hat's off to Marian," Iowa Central head coach Brent Nelson said. "They are a second-year program ranked fifth in D2, but they are not afraid to play the big boys. And they are going to make a name for themselves. 

"I've known the coach and his wife for a few years now and just everything about their program is done the right way."

Iowa Central (2-0 overall) was able to secure two tries from both Phoenix Twala and Jeremiah Bates, with Herbert Evans adding another. Aiden Farrell was 2-for-5 on conversion kicks.

"Jeremiah came off the bench and really had a great second half," Nelson said. "He is an exciting rugby player that is coming back from a preseason injury. He's going to be a difference-maker for us going forward.

"Phoenix is another exciting player that we had to use out of position because of a few injuries."

Nelson added that the lineup moves "definitely gave us some trouble, but that's just part of rugby."

"It's a lot like football in terms of tackling, running with the ball and kicking," he said. "But in many ways, it's more like soccer because you are doing most of the coaching in practice because it's continuous play. 

"I've got to give a lot of credit to our coaches because they do an incredible job of getting the guys ready to go."

In the B-side, Iowa Central earned a 29-15 decision. Andre Greenup had two tries with Noah Champion and Andre Butler one teaching. Chris Stanback was 1-for-1 on penalty kicks and 3-for-4 on conversion kicks.

"Chris is coming back from a really bad injury last year," Nelson said. "He hasn't missed a single thing and has done everything we've asked of him. He brings a good IQ to the team and a really good foot.

"Andre Greenup is electric with the ball on the outside. He's only played for a year, but is super athletic and fun to watch. Noah is a big, tough runner from Wisconsin who we are excited about."

The Tritons will welcome in Northern Iowa on Wednesday for a special mid-week match beginning at 5:30 p.m. 

"We had an incredible crowd that really helped create a great atmosphere, so that was awesome," Nelson said. "We'd like nothing more than to have that again on Wednesday."

-By Dana Becker