Wind, Familiarity Affects NCR All-Stars First Round Games
Wind, Familiarity Affects NCR All-Stars First Round Games
The NCR Men's Collegiate All-Star competition had kicked off and it seems like it's all about who responds to early jitters and who deals with the wind.
Yes, it's windy in Houston and sometimes really windy, meaning that teams working against the wind have had to figure out their kicking game and exit strategies. Some haven't.
In addition, with players not knowing each other too well the connections sometimes don't fire and we've seen a number of knock-ons and miscues.
But there have also been some good players and players who have put their hand up.
Great Lakes 18 Midwest 7
While the Great Lakes Thunderbirds started with the ball for a while, and scored relatively early thanks to a nice counter and superb offload by Chief Chipfumbo to his Wheeling University teammate Stand Giani, who scored. But the Midwest had the ball for a long time and got over the line only for hooker Laurence Old (Wheeling) to hold up Tavius Sykora-Mathess. That was a big play because the Midwest didn't really have much of a sniff for a while after that. A penalty and then a weakside scrum move that unleashed wing Ayoub Jalli, followed by another penalty and it was 18-0 Great Lakes.
Midwest scored late but they were starved of possession.
New England Red 10 Pacific Coast 7
Pacific Coast scored on a wild open-field run set up by Milaan Van Wyk to Jacob Jenkins, who then drew the last man and set up Devon McGee (who positioned himself perfectly) for the try in the corner and a 7-0 lead.
But New England didn't wilt and the forwards pressured before try-scoring Boston College hooker Connor Robinson spun out of a tackle and was over.
In the second half, New England flyhalf Mike Weir skated wide and hit his Dartmouth teammate Jasper Green on a perfect line for the center to score. College teammates linking on moves was a theme of the early games. Weir's two conversion attempts both his the post, but New England held on 10-7.
Great Lakes 20 New England White 10
The Thunderbirds had to battle for it but size and ability to control possession saw them through.
Pacific Coast 17 Mid-Atlantic 14
Mid-Atlantic scored early and held onto that lead into the second half. Then a wind-blown pass set up a gift for alert wing Preston Jones (UMBC) to dive on it. But after that Pacific Coast changed their approach, kept the ball in hand (for the most part) and used their big bodies to backpedal the Sharks defenders.
Quentin Goss powered over for a key one and slowly they pummeled their way to a tight win 17-14.
Southeast 24 Midwest 0
Midwest's ability to maintain continuity and pressure didn't get any better in the second game. The Southeast Bears were just more dynamic and with Niko Spino and Luke Teixeira working the angles nicely they scored early through the forwards, and then got some space later. The try of the day may well have been Teixeira having his chip blocked back into his arms and the UNC-Chapel Hill back galloping in almost untrouched. But a broken-play wild offload score sealed it 24-0.
New England Red 22 Tri State 5
Robinson was influential again in this game, including making a pass as he fell to set up the game-sealing try. Malcolm Robinson of Dartmouth charged over early, Tri-State answered when Sebass Villani scored off a quick tap. But New England controlled possession better and Will Zeller's score, set up by Weir, put them ahead. Leo Henkels and then, late, Robinson setting up Santiago Cortabarria made it 22-5.
