At the top of NCR's DI the competition will be fierce this year.
As readers might have noticed, GRR opted last week to put Walsh in as the #1-ranked team in this division, and with that team being idle, some other programs had a chance to make themselves known.
Bonnies vs Knights
St. Bonaventure were up against a physical Marian team that also had some smart decision-makers in flyhalf Joe Martindale and fullback William Toohey. Inside center Casey Graybill remains very difficult to get past.
The result was several penalties in the middle of the field that Martindale put over, In fact, the flyhalf accounted for all of his team's 16 points thanks to a wild gallop to the corner and the conversion. Bonnies didn't get a lot of time in the Marian half, but when they did they got a nice try from wing Dara Falope and a hard charge from hooker Mehdi Merah.
So, 16-12 at halftime before Bonnies straightened some things out, cut out the penalties, and pulled away 28-23. Scrumhalf Troy Heroldt was player of the game.
"Marian was a big, physical side with some really handy players," said St. Bonaventure Head Coach Danny Neighbour. "They are definitely someone to watch, hats off to them. They gave us a great game and it gave our lads lots to keep working on."
After losing big to Navy Bonnies got two close wins in a scrimmage format last week over Mary Washington and Siena. Looking ahead it all gets pretty difficult as Belmont Abbey, Queens, Walsh, Wheeling, and Kutztown take them through October.
Wheeling Wins Over IU
Wheeling, showing a somewhat new-look lineup but captained nicely by the very talented Alex Nyamunda, pulled away from Indiana 39-26 to post their first win of the season.
Indiana Head Coach Luke Gross felt this side underperformed in this match.
Crimson Storm Pushes Royals
In another clash of well-regarded teams, Queens came away with a tense 22-16 win over Southern Nazarene. This was a result that should turn heads for SNU.
The game was 0-0 until just before halftime when Queens slotted a penalty goal. While both sides would like to be a bit more accurate, there were some good performances, too.
"SNU came ready to play and wanted to make a statement, so we knew we had to push and fight," said Queens Head Coach Tyree Reed. "I was really happy with how the players were able to adjust on the fly and execute different roles. At one point, we had 11 forwards on the field and only four backs."
For SNU, scrumhalf Hlanga Mabele made an impact on attack and defense, while lock Jordan Gillispie was a tough presence and helped SNU get some good results from the scrums.
Center Connor Malauulu was a strong ballcarrier all day and wing Jaden Gilliland defended well.
But the Crimson Storm will not be happy with missing a prime try-scoring chance (forward pass) and missing two kickable penalty attempts.
Queens hung on 22-16.
"I was very pleased with the grit, drive, and selflessness the players showed," said Reed of Queens. "They put the jersey above themselves individually, and I love seeing that. [But] we need to get healthy so we can have enough players available, and we need to get players playing in their proper positions. We have played four matches so far, and I haven't been able to put the same lineup on the field twice. Because of that, we need to improve our continuity if we want to perform well once conference play begins."
