The Denver 7s team won the Serevi RugbyTown 7s men’s brace, defeating defending champions Serevi Selects 28-24 in the final.

Above, Atlantis goes for the winner against the All Americans. Below, the awarding of the Plate to Northeast ODA, Serevi v Rogues in the semis, and Negro y Azul v Army. Photos by Ivan Calhoun

The final day of competition was a message to college players that there’s a place for them, but there’s a place for young athletes form other walks of life, too. Denver was paced by some experienced players such as former University of Colorado All AmericanMax de Achaval, and recent Colorado State All American and USA U210 star Ben Pinkelman. Former University of Oklahoma scampered Bobby Impson also enjoyed a good tournament, but the guy who really lit things up was Gannon Moore, a powerful athlete who played football at SW Minnesota State, and darted playing rugby with the Kansas City Blues.

Denver outlasted a Serevi team that boasted the likes of Kevin Swiryn and Mike Palefau, Rocco Mauer and Miles Craigwell - all former Eagles 7s players and three of whom were collegiate All Americans. 

Third place went to the Upright Rugby Rogues of Ontario, who beat an experienced (Mose Timoteo, Chad London, Preston Bryant) Glendale Raptors team 21-12.

The Northeast Rugby Academy, paced by Columbia grad and team captain Derek Lipscomb, and Arkansas State halfback Dylan Carrion, got strong performances by several players who have cut their teeth in the club and elite-level 7s - Chris Frazier, Vinny Daley. They defeated Negro y Azul, another men’s independent elite program, this time out of Texas, 26-19 for the Plate.

Negro y Azul featured former Life University All American Colton Cariaga, Matt Hughston, formerly of the USA U20s and East Carolina University, and recent HS All American Austin Taefu, the team showed how experience at the men’s level can set you apart. They finished Plate Runners Up, but notched wins against the Collegiate All Americans, Bahamas, and Army, and lost by a try to Serevi and Northeast, and 26-10 to Denver - not too shabby.

Their convincing defeat over the All Americans highlighted how the college players’ team just wasn’t up to it at the highest level. When the All Americans lost, they lost big, not as physically strong in contact as their counterparts, and not possessing enough players with blazing pace - more for help on defense than on offense.

The All-Americans hammered Bahamas but lost by 26 and 24 points, respectively to Azul and Serevi. But their final day of competition was a little better, as they thumped the US Marines Corps and Stars Rugby 31-7 and 33-0. Against the Marines the All Americans were behind 7-5 until early in the second half, as the USMC tried, successfully, to exert their physical superiority. But a breakaway from Cooper Maloney of St. Mary’s and a try set up by Maloney for Alex Faison-Donohue of Kutztown put them ahead.

That put the All Americans in the Bowl Final with Atlantis, and in that game the collegiates had many opportunities to score, but seemed to be more a team of individuals trying to show what they can do rather than a cohesive unit. Good play from Jack McAuliffe (Navy) and Josh Anderson (BYU) was undercut by players going into contact far too much and failing to cover the wings on defense. With Wes Hartmann of Kutztown eschewing the pass at every turn, they played into the hands of Atlantis.

For Atlantis’s part, captain Ahmad Haraijly, late of the Dearborn Silverbacks U19 team, was very good, and Kutztown speedster Robert Stortz was, as well, But it was the pace and physical strength of players like Akinola Raymond and Detwan Robinson that saw them through.

Bermuda beat Mexico for the Shield.

The US Army won the Military Championship. Led by former West Point flyhalf Will Holder, defeating Air Force 43-12 in the final. Air Force enjoyed a superb tournament from former Prince William HS and Air Force Academy standout Eric Duechle, but it wasn’t enough.

So all in all, a lesson for the younger players, and perhaps for Tony Pacheco’s All American selections. While Pacheco took a tall, rangy group to Glendale, short, scrappy players like Carrion and Stortz, or lesser-known players like Corey Jones of the University of Arkansas and Atlantis, found themselves winning more games. 

 

Serevi RugbyTown 7s Finish (W-L)

1. Denver 7s (6-0)

2. Serevi Selects (5-1)

3. Upright Rugby Rogues (5-1)

4. Glendale Raptors (4-2)

5. Northeast Academy (4-2)

6. Negro y Azul (3-3) 

7. US Army (5-2) Military Champions

8. Air Force ((2-4-1)

9. Atlantis (4-2)

10. Collegiate All-Americans (3-3)

11. US Navy (2-2-2)  Stars 7s (2-3)

13. Bermuda (2-4)

14. Mexico (1-5)

15. US Marines (1-5) Bahamas (0-5)