GREENWOOD - Lander Men's Rugby celebrated Senior Day in front of a large home crowd Saturday, turning in its most complete performance of the season with a 67–0 victory over The Citadel.
 

On a hot and humid afternoon, the Bearcats controlled the match from the opening stages, combining a dominant performance from the forwards with some of their best attacking rugby of the season. Lander built a 36–0 halftime advantage and continued to apply pressure in the second half to complete the shutout.
 

The victory provided a memorable send-off for the largest senior class Head Coach Buck Billings has coached during his time at Lander.
 

"This was a special day," Billings said. "Looking down the line before the match and seeing all of those guys standing there with their parents and families was pretty touching for me. Most of these guys have been with us for three or four years. We have a few transfers in the group, but most of them started their college rugby careers right here at Lander. You think about how much they've grown and everything they've put into this program, and I'm glad we were able to give them a day I think they'll remember."
 

Among those seniors is Ethan Richardson, who played four seasons as an undergraduate before returning to Lander for graduate school and a fifth year with the program. Richardson helped make Senior Day memorable with another strong performance, producing several explosive runs as part of a Lander attack that consistently found space when it maintained its shape.
 

The Bearcats also received standout performances throughout the lineup. Jacob "JD" Dawkins scored twice and repeatedly created problems with his kicking and chase game, earning him Man of the Match. Chase Langston earned Back of the Match, while Aaron Sloan was named both Forward of the Match and the recipient of the team's Hard Hat.
 

Lander's forwards established an advantage at scrum time early in the match, while the backs produced some of their sharpest rugby of the year. The afternoon also featured several memorable sequences, including an excellent support line from Harry Cromie following a break by Will Watts and strong performances from Calvin Henderson and Richardson.
 

"I thought this was probably the best rugby we've played all year," Billings said. "There were some outstanding individual plays, but what I enjoyed most was seeing guys playing for each other. The guys had fun, they played hard, and when we stayed in our system, kept our shape and applied pressure, we played some really good rugby."
 

Despite the margin, Billings said the match also gave the Bearcats plenty to address. At times, Lander moved away from its attacking shape or failed to apply its usual defensive pressure, allowing the match to stall temporarily.
 

"That's part of our growth," Billings said. "A score like this doesn't mean we played perfectly. When we got away from what we do, you could see the difference. The lesson for us is that our system works when we trust it and work together. We want to enjoy this one, especially for our seniors, but then get back to work and continue getting better."
 

Lander will now turn its attention to a road matchup with Kennesaw State. It will be the first meeting between the two programs and another opportunity for the Bearcats to build on Saturday's performance.
 

"Kennesaw State is a strong program, and going to their place will be a challenge," Billings said. "We had a good week of preparation leading into Senior Day, and now we need another one. We want to take the things we did well today, clean up the areas where we got away from ourselves, and be ready to play our best rugby again next week."
 

Final: Lander 67, The Citadel 0
 

Match Honors
Man of the Match — Jacob "JD" Dawkins
Back of the Match — Chase Langston
Forward of the Match — Aaron Sloan
Hard Hat — Aaron Sloan