The first round of the three week tournament is in the books, with lots of both expected and unexpected outcomes and performances. The Bennies provided a hegemonic display to top the current standings at 2-0, while the Sues and Dudes battled into the red for a dramatic late winner.
| Team | W-L | Differential | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennies | 2-0 | +34 | 6 |
| Sues | 1-1 | -4 | 4 |
| Dudes | 0-2 | -30 | 2 |
Power Rankings
#3 Dudes
The Dudes roster is full of athletes and leaders, but they got off to a slow start going down to the Bennies 40-0 before punching in a courageous 3 unanswered tries to end the game. Building off whatever momentum they could conserve, they got themselves into a shootout against the Sues, ultimately losing on the final play of the match. Senior Langston Sholl and junior Colin Sampic had a high affinity for the try zone, while sophomore Otto Janke was the brain behind the brawn. Looking for their first win, the Dudes sit at the bottom of this week’s Intrasquads rankings, but are optimistic in new recruit Micah Connor whose inexperience is fading quickly after two tries in round 1. Don’t let the #3 ranking or their cute, custom, new jerseys fool you—the Dudes are here to stay.
#2 Sues
After losing a first half lead to Bennies, and a resurgent comeback against the Dudes, the Sues experienced the highs and lows of this great sport. Freshman Ty West put on a clinic in his debut at flyhalf, helping to keep the Sues within striking distance against the Dudes, where they trailed by 2 tries late in the second half, but it was Jamie Willcox, the South African native, with the game winning try in the corner to claim the Sues’ first win of the tournament. Leadership among the squad was strong on the field, as leaders stepped up to embody the role of Senior Captain George Janke, who plans to take the field in round 2. With a neutral week one, the pre-seasoned ranked #3 team will gain some more firepower, as junior Armen Vartanian will be back in the squad for the next round. The Sues move up this week, and will ask some questions of the tournament leaders in round 2.
#1 Bennies
The Bennies dominated the first round on the scoreboard scoring 66 points across 2 games. After a slow first half against the Sues, the Bennies seemed to be only warming up. Shutting out the Sues in the second half, they won the first game of the season 26-15. Miraculously, without rest between the matches, the Bennies must have had a beat down for the Dudes already scheduled, winning 40-17. Senior Quinn Mahoney and Freshman Luke Zana made some big waves in their intrasquads debuts. The Bennies are riding high, even with NCR All-Star Shea Loughnane coaching from the sideline. The Sues and Dudes have to make an upset in round 2 if they want any chance at the title.
