NCR D3 Final Four and the Changing of the Guard
NCR D3 Final Four and the Changing of the Guard
The roots of NCR are in the small colleges, and it’s there that the entity-previously-known-as-NSCRO set out its shingle.
And while we at GRR end up talking a lot more about the D1, D1AA, and D2 brackets, for NCR really it’s D3 (what used to be Small Colleges) that made the organization.
This coming weekend, the D3 teams meet up for their championship in Houston, with four teams remaining, and there's been a bit of a changing of the guard.
The playoffs had their share of upsets. Defending champions Babson were unseated in the quarterfinals by Holy Cross 29-25. The 2022 champs Cal Poly Humboldt were edged by Colorado School of Mines in the Round of 16 and then 2021 runners-up New Mexico Tech in the quarterfinals.
Repeat final four team Catholic University also were beaten, losing in a wild one 51-45 to Duke in the quarterfinals.
Holy Cross alumni have been looking to push for more emphasis on the rugby team and they have a talented and experienced squad. In the No. 8 Matthew Schwab scored two tries in the Round of 16 win over Roger Williams and added another in the win over Babson in the quarterfinals. Flyhalf Jackson Evarts scored 18 points against RWU and was key for the Crusaders. Against Babson they put in one probably their best performance, getting tries from Schwab, flanker Connor Bankuti, scrumhalf Christian Rosowicz, center Will Shuck, and hooker Jimmy Flaherty to defeat the Beavers 29-25.
It was a bit of an astonishing result because Babson had looked so strong.
Same story for Duke. The Southern Conference winners, Duke were not regarded as having been tested as much as the best teams from the MARC. Well, their vaunted offense exploded for 96 points in two playoff games, beating Susquehanna 45-33 and Catholic 51-45. The big question for Duke as they look to take on Holy Cross will be their defense.
Defense is not an issue for Colorado School of Mines. The Minders last year beat regional rivals Northern Colorado and New Mexico Tech by close margins and had trouble with Denver. This year they beat Denver comfortable and the same with UNC. After holding off a very good Cal Poly Humboldt 29-27, it came down to the Orediggers of NMT and Mines won that game 18-15. Their defense came through and they will need it in Houston.
The one team, then, that has returned to the D3/Small College final four is Wayne State. After losing to Babson 27-23 in the 2023 final, the Wildcats put together a strong season this year, albeit with fewer games. Tough matches with Mines, Southern Nazarene, Iowa, Kansas State, and Iowa Central meant Wayne State had played almost entire D1 or D1AA opposition going into the playoffs. There they held three playoff opponents to just 13 points.
Wayne State plays a Mines team they beat 71-5, but Wildcats Head Coach Bryn Chivers warned against complacency from his team.
"They had a lot of freshmen in our first meeting and they've clearly improved" Chivers said. "They beat the 2022 National Champion, Cal Poly Humboldt, in their regional final and that says a lot about their growth over the season."
For Wayne State, their run-and-gun offense is coming together, but it’s their defense that might see them through.
