Central Washington didn’t have to prove that it was a good team; just a glimpse at its roster confirms as much. But last weekend’s DI West regional championship lent some depth to its talent, as the Wildcats defeated Stanford 53-7 in Sunday’s quarterfinal.

The opening sequence set the tone for the match – with some pockets of exception – when Central Washington kicked off to Stanford. An errant outlet pass from scrumhalf Esther Melton sent the Cardinal scrambling back inside its 22, putting the hosts under undue pressure. The Wildcats eventually turned over possession, and All American wing Ashley Rolsma dotted down in the corner.

Central Washington sustained its pressure defense, forcing uncharacteristic mistakes from even the most trustworthy of Stanford veterans. Losing those opportunities on offense was stressful, and Stanford could not generate the free-flowing, quick ball that it prefers. When the ball did move wide, Central Washington outside center Nate Serevi covered well, surprising ballcarriers who were on the verge of a linebreak.

Serevi was also a great playmaker on offense and several times switched fields with a long-reaching pass, and putting attackers like fullback Cassidy Meyers into space for the taking.

With 10 minutes gone, Central Washington led 17-0 after tries from Heather Johnson – who had two scores on the day – and No. 8 Jenny Johnston, who dotted down a driving lineout. Flyhalf Kat Long added the first of her six conversions.

“We did a lot of work with our mental skills – focusing and setting the tone early,” Central Washington coach Mel Denham said of the quick lead. “They were really on today. The focus was there, and you could feel it all morning, all afternoon.”

Stanford rallied in the second quarter, breaking into CWU's end, but was unable to get into a rhythm that produced points. Carrie Vaillancourt and the incomparable Angela Ve’evalu ran in tries before the break, and Central Washington led 29-0 into the half. The hosts were far from defeated, however, and entered the second half with renewed vigor.

“They came out of the half really fired up,” Denham remembered. “And soon after that, they started turning over some of our possession and ended up scoring in the end. I was a little nervous, but we were able to raise our game back up to that level.”

Stanford is a strong, aggressive team, but Central Washington’s forwards played a different brand of physicality. Ve’evalu is the emblem of such – nearly unstoppable from 10 meters out because of her size and power (although a memorable tackle from Stanford fullback Olivia Bernadel-Huey prevented the prop’s third try), but like her teammates, can thrash through contact before delivering a tricky offload. It's a nice blend of power and finesse.

“We have good depth, so we’re able to play our game plan no matter who’s out there,” Denham said of the 25 players who traveled and the six back in Washington. “We’re still trying to find our best 15. We tried [flyhalf/wing Cassidy Meyers] at fullback this weekend, and it seemed to work out pretty well. Sammy Pinson came back from foot surgery. We had started her at 8, but then moved her to prop. She owned it at prop, and our scrums just turned around. She’s a mental player, mentally tough, and wants to win that battle.”

Central Washington finished with four more tries – two from Serevi, and one apiece from Ve’evalu and Heather Johnson.

“From where we were at day one to where we are today, the growth has been amazing,” Denham said. “It’s a really incredible group of girls. We have a vision, and they’ve been 100 percent committed to it, and it’s driven us.”

Central Washington put on quite a show Sunday, and one suspects that there’s more in store.

“We talk about gains all the time – 1% gains each week – and their determination to just improve is what decided the outcome this weekend,” Denham said. “That was the best I’ve ever seen them play, and we try to raise that each week.”

The Wildcats move on to the spring final four, April 24-25, in Pittsburgh, and will face fellow first-year varsity team Life University. 

For the rest of the DI and DII college playoff scores, click here.