Scores and Notes from Preseason Cross-Conference Warmups
Scores and Notes from Preseason Cross-Conference Warmups
Men's D1-level games this weekend were punctuated by non-conference games of differing levels of importance.
Some of the games this week were modified games or scrimmages, but we also had full-on games that served as preseason warmups. But what is additionally worth noting is these games cross conference boundaries, giving fans an idea of where those conferences sit competitively.
We already discussed Friday's action, including Walsh University vs Thomas More, here>>
Mary Washington played Mount St. Mary’s in a game between two Rugby East teams but which is not a conference game. This was just a warmup and, notably, involved players from various places in the depth chart. UMW won 40-18, but this was largely a 2nds and 3rd MSM side so while we have some nice photos from tje always-great David Hughes, this results should come with a pinch of salt.
The two are slated to play a conference game October 19.
This was a good day for Mary Washington after a competitive loss to University of Guelph out of Ontario.
Davenport shut out Ohio State in a game that will probably do a lot in preparing OSU for the Big 10 season ahead. Luther Deacon scored two tries for Davenport while Rayziah Taele was outstanding among the forwards.
Freshman Joe Bennie impressed among the backs.
Head Coach Dustin Steedman said his players were itching to get started, even for a preseason warmup.
“The win today was a real team effort. We still have a lot of work to do on certain areas of the field, but today I'm thankful for the efforts of these young men that got us the victory.”
Kentucky played Illinois in a series of three games, and the Wildcats swept the day with a 44-0 shutout for their 3rds, a 34-10 win for their 2nd side, and a 57-36 victory for the 1st side.
Illinois was very powerful up front, especially in their scrum and in contact. Their 1st side was impressive on attack and broke through on multiple occasions.
It was a windy day and with the wind Kentucky was able to use the breeze thanks in large part to the kicking ability of flyhalf Jack Phillips. His ability to pin Illinois back, and a key clearance kick when the UK forwards won a scrum against the head, helped Kentucky control the momentum in the second half.
Flanker Holden Hahn was very good until he had to leave for an injury. Freshmen Eli Arthur (Pendleton), Bryson Shelton (Moeller), and Charlie Sizemore (St. Ignatius Cleveland) all had good debuts for the Wildcats.
“Overall our basics on offense are working well, especially after a sloppy first half where we rushed,” said Kentucky Head Coach Sam Enari. “We haven’t spent much time on defensive structure yet.”
Belmont Abbey defeated North Carolina 64-15. Abbey did a good job pinning UNC in their own 22 for most of the first half and with the scrums and lineouts mostly going the Crusaders’ way, Belmont Abbey took a 33-3 lead into halftime.
While the scrum and the maul were the basis of their scoring success in the first half, the Crusaders opened up their attack in the second half. The Tar Heels, just getting on the field with new Head Coach Joe Rasmus, battled on and scored two late tries.
“We created chances but had a few disallowed tries,” said Rasmus, who had praise for debutant tighthead prop Wilson Major, who showed well. “Only two players from the roster graduate this year so we’ve got a crew to build with. It was good for the guys to understand the speed of rugby; it was a shock but we adjusted.”
Babson and Harvard played in a preseason game where both teams made early-season mistakes. It wasn’t especially pretty, but Babson scored late to win it 5-0. In another cross-divisional game, a young Northeastern team beat UMass-Lowell.
"We were physical and had alot of good moments, but lots to build on," said Northeastern Head Coach Ed Tubridy.
Iowa Central CC beat Southern Nazarene in impressive fashion 39-10. This is the second week in which Iowa Central has pulled away from a very goo team. Triton Head Coach Brent Nelson said the team likes to play with something to prove, but he added that too many penalties crept into their game
Oklahoma hosted Arkansas at the Al Velie Rugby Complex Tarzan Field and won 36-19.
In a match that appeared to be one-sided during the first half, Oklahoma jumped out to a 29-0 lead after a sequence of devastating runs by backs Matthew Nightingale, Aiden Dade and Ethan Newman, who led the day with four tries. The lead basically evaporated by the middle of the second half when the Razorbacks were able to force the Sooners into a number of turnovers to close the lead to 29-19, with less than 20 minutes to play. In the end,
Oklahoma pulled away with outstanding ball control led by captain Eric Guzman, Jake Hargrove and Michael Papenfus combined with defense against the Razorback lineouts by the freshman from Washington (Eastside Lions) Lawson Barton and a late try by wing Gunner Coley to seal the game.
