GRR: Brown
A dominant scrum, some tenacious defense, and smart game management saw Brown edge Queens 23-20 Saturday night to win NCR's D1 championship.
This is Brown's 2nd title in three years, and Queens will have to settle for two runner-up finishes in the same period.
NCR D1's final is a rematch of the 2022 final, and while we hope some things don't repeat this time around, we do want and expect the same intensity.
Of course the 2022 final wasn't ... shall we say ... "entertaining" per sé, what with 11 cards issued ... but the atmosphere and grit is something fans might want to see again.
We will potentially have a new face in the NCR D1 final if Wheeling wins their semifinal this coming weekend, but every other team in the final four—St. Bonaventure, Brown, and Queens—have been in the championship game before.
In the meeting between the top two teams in the NCR D1 Liberty Conference, Brown encountered one of their toughest opponents, but was still able to pull out a 24-15 win.
AIC has been very good at making life difficult for their opposition and came into the game unbeaten in-conference, as did Brown. Now they slip to 5-1.
LIberty's NCR D1 league continues to be an intriguing conference as some teams found out this week.
Rivalry ClashIona were defeated by nearby rivals Fairfield 23-13 in what Fairfield DOR Austin Ryan called "an absolute dog fight against a bitter rival."
Both teams have suffered from injuries but that didn't mean they would be hesitant to get stuck in.