We’re down to four teams in the CRC Men’s Premier bracket, with St Bonaventure, Belmont Abbey, Wheeling, and Queens making the semifinals.
Wheeling’s speed and team unity saw them blow past Babson 35-0 and defeat UMW 31-10. The game against Mary Washington was close for a while …
It was much the same story with Brown, as they won comfortably over Texas A&M and then Notre Dame, but were trailing the Aggies early but their pattern started to slice up the Texans. Tito Edjua just broke through from long range; Erik Estienne scored on a quick tap after a long break, and they started to take control. Edjua scored another one from long range to seal it.
UMW had survived Virginia Tech and challenged Wheeling early, but Shadreck Mandaza tested them with his speed and decision-making, and a key try late in the first half from Panashe Mugorogodi, who charged in. The freshman made a bunch of tacklers miss in the second half and broke through or 85 meters to score. Wheeling led 24-5 before former Wheeling Cardinal Aaron Juma scored on a support line, but it was too late.
Brown and Wheeling were tight at halftime, with Wheeling leading 7-5. Wheeling was content to defend and wait for a turnover and break out. It didn’t seem to be working as Wheeling gave up a penalty and Brown was able to punch through and spin it wide to Marco Lapierre. Lapierre seemed to take exception to being hit as he scored. That could have played into what happened next. A break on a pick-and-go led to a try for Wheeling and Lapierre made the tackle after the touch down, driving the Wheeling player into the fencing at the end of the field.
That led to a penalty after the try, tapped at the middle of the field and producing a try for Joseph Iye. Suddenly Wheeling was up 19-10 and they held on from there.
In the second half Wheeling broke through on a pick and go
AIC and Siena both looked good early—Siena got under Kutztown’s skin early. AIC was fast and smart. But the bracket winner was Queens. They held off AIC with really everything flowing through Hilton Olivier. They then met Siena in the quartefinal.
Queens scored in the opening try with Olivier garnering attention before getting it wide to Juan Boyd, who raced 50 meters. Augustin Yenaropulos faked everyone out with a dummy and scamper from the halfback position. A good team try capped off by Yenaropulos and Queens was up 19-0 with halftime looming. Noah Paskins raced in around the edge to make it 26-5 at the break. Siena was just not in the game and the final score was 38-14.
