For the U19s, the Thunderbirds again were the most unified group. Many of the players had been in the program for several years and it showed. Derek Wallace was outstanding at scrumhalf, passing with consistency, working hard running the defense, and being quick to the breakdowns so the T-Birds got quick ball.
Inside back Jeff Huffstickler was tough toc ointain, and Renz Grimbeek unleashed one of the better tries of the day when the player who passed to him was hit as he passed. That put both players on the ground, and Grimbeek cut back into the hole that play created and was through.
No. 8 Charlie Miller made a thundering tackle early-on against Atlantis on a tap penalty move. He then followed that up with a poach that made sure Atlantis didn't score.
Cooper Coykendall was a hard-charger at flanker, ran the lineouts, and was vocal throughout, while Preston Devis captained the squad and set the tone at tighthead prop. On the outside Genesis Kamara out of Red Rover in North Dakota was a powerful threat on the outside.
It was an impressive day as Midwest outscore all of their opponents by over 40.
Aviators had flashes but simply didn't have enough time together. Day Two could well see improvements there. Atlantis was a bit more together among their U16 side, but both teams put their opponents under pressure; they were just able to score against Ohio, while the Thunderbirds' defense was too good.
