FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Washington, DC (February 25, 2021) — Old Glory DC is excited to announce the signing of three Gonzaga College High School alumni to the 2021 roster:  Dante Lopresti, Owen Sheehy, and Jack Carroll.  Lopresti returns to Old Glory for a second year after his 2020 debut, while Sheehy and Carroll will begin their professional rugby careers in the 2021 MLR season.  The three will join current Old Glory DC prop and fellow Gonzaga alumnus Jack Iscaro.

“It has been exciting to watch these four players develop from the Gonzaga Championship squads of 2014 -2018 to professional rugby players for Old Glory,” said Paul Sheehy, Old Glory DC co-owner. “They are the embodiment of the future of American rugby.”

Gonzaga College High School is known as a Washington, DC rugby powerhouse, regularly fielding up to four teams each season and developing a notable brand of elite high school rugby, frequently representing the Mid-Atlantic region in the national championship hunt.

About Dante Lopresti:

Dante Lopresti is no stranger to the Old Glory DC training environment. Lopresti first donned the Old Glory DC matchday kit in May of 2019 during the team’s exhibition season at Catholic University.  After a four-game campaign against notable matchups, like the Scottish U20 team and Shannon RFC, Old Glory Head Coach Andrew Douglas extended an offer to Lopresti to join Old Glory’s inaugural season in Major League Rugby.

During his first season, the homegrown prop made national headlines in the rugby world, scrummaging next to Rugby World Cup Champion Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira during Old Glory’s 2020 home opener against the Seattle Seawolves.  Not only did Lopresti and Old Glory DC ultimately emerge victorious over the two-time MLR champion from Seattle, but the prop was named man of the match.

Lopresti is happy to be back on the pitch after a long quarantine with his family, much of which he spent playing one-on-one basketball with his son, working out at home, and watching Hallmark movies with his mother.

“It is awesome to be back,” said Dante Lopresti. “The team is ready to build on and finish what we started last year before the season was cut short.”

About Owen Sheehy:

Born in Bethesda, Maryland, Owen Sheehy joins the Old Glory roster with two high school national championship titles under his belt with the Gonzaga varsity rugby team. This accomplishment led Sheehy to represent the High School All-Americans in 2017. He also played on teams that won 3 Penn Mutual Highschool 7s championships with the Maryland Exiles and DMV United 7s team.

The flyhalf joined the University of Wisconsin’s rugby club and was named the Top National D1A Freshman Player of the Week his first semester.  Sheehy continued to excel within the collegiate rugby world, being named to the U19 US National Team in 2018 and being honored as a Collegiate All-American in 2019.

“It’s an incredible opportunity, especially being a local rugby player,” said Owen Sheehy. “Being able to play for a club where I can have my friends and family close by is fantastic. It’s also very surreal to think that some of the guys that you have watched on TV are now your teammates, and are so willing to help in your development.”

About Jack Carroll:

Hailing from Oakton, VA, Jack Carroll participated in both the varsity football and rugby programs between 2011 and 2015 at Gonzaga College High School. The dual-sport athlete excelled at both, joining the USA National Football Team and USA Rugby’s All-American roster his senior year.  Ultimately, Carroll laid down his rugby kit to go play DI NCAA football for the University of New Hampshire on an athletic scholarship.

Carroll is thrilled to get back to rugby. After starting three years as an offensive lineman, he is glad to get back to his rugby roots with a trainee contract.

“Football was my first love, but rugby was the one that got away,” said Carroll. “I loved rugby the first day I ever tried it. I missed the game, culture, and teammates I met in my high school career.”

The prop looks forward to representing our city and bringing a championship to the DC area.

“I’m overjoyed at the opportunity that Coach Douglas and the staff have given me. We’ve got a top-flight group of guys, and I am eager to prove my worth with them.”

“It’s always important to have local talent in your team,” said Andrew Douglas, Old Glory DC Head Coach. “They understand what they are playing for and it means a lot to them to be playing for their region in front of their families and friends. These young men have great values and have impressed with their work ethic and desire to always want to improve. Gonzaga is an important nursery for Old Glory and we look forward to continuing to build rugby pathways with them.”

Gonzaga’s rugby supporters will be able to see Jack Iscaro, Dante Lopresti, Owen Sheehy, and Jack Carroll in action all through Old Glory’s 2021 Major League Rugby season. Become a 2021  Season Ticket Holder and never miss a second of action.