Fourth Week of UMRFC’s Intrasquad Sevens Sees the Playoff Race Draw Closer

The Fourth Night of Intrasquad Sevens took place on February 7th, and Ross was not beaten, but they also fell short of 2 wins this week, adding only 1 win and a tie to their record. The rest of the teams continued to show that spots 2-5 are anyone’s game and will be fiercely contested in the upcoming games. As always, check out our YouTube Channel if you’d like to watch the games for yourself.

Game 1: Bennie Oosterbaan 10 – James J. Duderstadt 30

Both sides started the match with tight defense and creative possession. However, bad passes and loose rucks led to multiple turnovers, which culminated in a Dudes try as Cooper Smart drew defenders to the sideline before dishing back in to Andre Cargill. Soon after, Oosterbaan stepped up with a strong run into Jones territory, and regained possession after a knock-on. From 22 meters out, David Hiltzik cleaned up a loose pass and slid through an inattentive Dudes defense for the try. Oosterbaan defended well off the kickoff, putting constant pressure on the Dudes and marching them inch-by-inch into their own territory, but sadly the ref had his back turned during a Dudes knock-on that was recovered for an 80m gain. Oosterbaan hurried to defend, but the Dudes managed to finish with John Palladino for the try. Oosterbaan defended viciously for the remainder of the half, but Duderstadt’s offloads were too crisp, and the half ended with another try for Palladino, 21-5. Oosterbaan had the kickoff for the second half, but a lazy defense immediately let in a try from Cooper Smart. Oosterbaan’s defensive line remained untidy, but the pressure held up for most of the half until Andre Cargill broke the line after a failed Oosterbaan lineout. Not to be outdone, Oosterbaan sent Riley Hanson down the sideline for a try and later worked their way down the field for another, but the Dudes got a hold of the ball and kicked it out to end the match 30-10.

Game 2: Don Canham 12 – James Earl Jones 33

The match started off with a hard push from Jones, brought forth by a chip kick from freshman Matt Kasten. Canham’s defense held strong for phase after phase, forcing Jones to send the ball from sideline to sideline again and again before finally sneaking Cody Griffin in for the score. Canham continued to show an impressive ability to recover from threatening scenarios on defense, but Lawrence Armitage-Brain, the newcomer from across the pond, showed great prowess with a well-placed kick to Matt Kasten for a try on the wing. Canham wasn’t lying down quite yet, however, and sent Sequoyah Burke-Combs through the line for a leisurely 60m jog after only a phase or two off the kickoff. Jones responded with a Zack Burns try to end the half 19-7. Jones started the second half on a high note, cleaning up a loose ball that had rocketed out of a Canham scrum at 10m and bounced into the try zone. Jones again found themselves deep in Canham territory soon after, but lost possession and yielded a try for Canham after an impossibly crisp solo effort by Sequoyah Burke-Combs. Jones fielded the kickoff and immediately sent Zack Burns through a gap in the defense for the final try of the match, bringing the final score to 33-12 Jones.

Game 3: Stephen M. Ross 38 – Mary Sue Coleman 7

Coleman fought hard to bring the ball into Ross territory in the first half, but an interception and full-field flight by Christian Mentzer set up a try for Uygar Ozdemir. Following yet another try from Mentzer shortly after, Tohy Rakotovololona wiggled his way out of tackle for a try set up by Sequoyah Burke-Combs. Another Mentzer try for Ross brought the halftime score to 19-7. The opening of the second half saw Coleman struggling with possession, soon losing the ball to Mentzer for a long try valiantly chased by Rakotovololona. Another Mentzer try followed as Coleman remained unsuccessful with possession and unorganized on defense. Coleman ultimately failed to patch the holes in their defensive line, letting in Joel Conzelmann for an untouched 50m try. The final score: 38-7 Ross.

Game 4: Don Canham 41 – Bennie Oosterbaan 0

The first half proceeded mostly in Canham territory, but was heavy with knock-ons for both sides. Following an ankle injury to Oosterbaan veteran Mark Borowski, Canham quickly capitalized on the less-organized defense and sent John Palladino nearly the length of the field before dishing to Ian Etheart for the first try of the match. Oosterbaan managed to maintain possession in their own territory for much of the remaining half, but a long pass was intercepted by Etheart for another try, just as the buzzer sounded. The halftime score was 12-0 Canham. The second half began with a good take by Oosterbaan off the kickoff, but they soon lost possession on the sideline and Canham sent the ball the width of the field to CJ Stock for a try. The remainder of the half proceeded entirely in Oosterbaan’s territory as they repeatedly failed to close the gaps in the defensive line. Canham kept the momentum rolling and logged tries for John Palladino, Cooper Smart, Jordan Ulmer, and freshman Zack Burns, ending the match with a demoralizing 41 points to None.

Game 5: Stephen M. Ross 7 – James Earl Jones 7

Jones delighted spectators with an early try by sophomore Zack Burns, gaining a rare 7-point lead on Ross. As the match continued, Ross luckily failed to maintain possession, although a stifling defense contained play before the try line. A number of knock-ons and dead balls from both sides kept the action rooted in Ross territory, until Jared Bosma snuck around the weak side of the scrum in a mad dash stopped by Lawrence Armitage-Brain. Jones recovered and maintained on defense, and Ross ended the half scoreless. Strong rucking by Jones continued in the second half, allowing them to maintain possession in Ross territory. However, in a devastating turn, Ross’ Joel Conzelman received a pass in open space and beat his defender on a footrace to the posts. This brought the score to a teeth-chattering 7-7, as no team has yet tied or beaten Ross. Offense grew sloppier as both teams grew tired, and neither were able to capitalize. The match ended as a tie, but spectators nevertheless breathed a sigh of relief to see Ross deprived of the win.

Game 6: Mary Sue Coleman 7 – James J. Duderstadt 62

A gymnastic run from John Palladino started the Dudes off with a try between the posts, and they kept the pace going with another intelligent score by Cooper Smart soon after. Coleman responded with a strong couple phases into Duderstadt territory, but Palladino recovered a flubbed pass and was off, bringing the score to 19-0. Possession continued to elude the Mary Sues, and the Dudes put up two more tries from Travis Sawyer and Max Arevuo (via a brilliant kick by Andre Cargill) to bring the halftime score to 31-0. The second half began poorly for Coleman, as Cooper Smart recovered the Dudes’ kickoff and scored himself after another phase of play. Andre Cargill and Max Arevuo helped rack the score up to 50-0 before Coleman found their feet and sent CJ Stock on a spirited run from the 50m line. The Dudes answered with tries from Christian Mentzer and Travis Sawyer, bringing the final score to 62-7.