After going 3-0 on Day One of the Algarve 7s, the NCR Griffins select team ran the table to win the Open Division at the Portuguese tournament.
The Griffins beat GD Dirieto in the quarters 17-10, CR Évora 33-12 in the semis, and, in the final, shut out Clonasti Scombinati 28-0.
In the final the Griffins worked the ball patiently from side to side before Kutztown's Archie Grayson broke a tackle and was in from 45. Grayson got the movement going for the next try, which ended with Aidan Smith (Kutztown) selling a dummy and cutting through for the score.
Then with Scombinati shorthanded because of an injured player, the Griffins struck, getting it wide to Everett Boys (Queens U.), and he stepped out of a tackle to speed around and under the sticks. That made it 21-0 at halftime.
In the second half Smith tapped on an early penalty and ran around a bit before finding his Kutztown classmate Rowan Sierra to score in the corner. Conversion good and it was all over 28-0. defense got them the next opportunity, as
The quarterfinal against Dirieto was by far the Griffins' closest game. Should they have been entered into the Elite bracket? It's hard to judge that. They won the Open by a comfortable margin and had easily the best points difference. But the Elite bracket included men's professional teams and national teams—it might have been a step too far.
