After 4 rounds of highlight reel tries, cheeky grubbers, and chase-down tackles, we can finally crown an Intrasquads champion for 2025. Congratulations to the Bennies on winning back-to-back Intrasquads titles! With an overall record of 7-1, the Bennies proved once again they are the team to beat. We’ll have to wait another year to see if the Dudes and Sues can match the prowess of this year’s champions.
This year was no cakewalk for any team. The Bennies found themselves 1-1 after round 1 coming off a multiple-try loss to the Dudes. In fact, in all four matchups with the Dudes, the Bennies were trailing at halftime, even when they were missing key players. Here is what Captain Luke Zana had to say about the team’s performance: “Overall it was a great season for the Bennies. We responded really well to losing our first game and I’m proud of the progress and grit we showed following that. Our young players really stood out, with a starting lineup more than half comprised of underclassmen, and I’m proud to say the future of our team looks bright.”
Despite being low on numbers and dealing with multiple injuries, the Bennies found ways to persevere, strike back, and pull out with dramatic victories each week. There were many guys who played a vital role in securing the championship, with strong defensive efforts from junior 8-man Mike Crismale. Crismale was a defensive anchor and always stepped up to stop the opposing team’s best ball carrier. Freshman scrumhalf Raymond Li was consistent with all his set-piece work throughout the contest, despite battling injury. Freshmen Regan Plank, Mathew Gurwin, and Ryan Beske were try-scoring machines, with Plank ending Intrasquad’s having scored the most out of anyone. Beske was consistent at wing each week, with a notable moment in round 3 where he pulled off a Marshawn Lynch ‘beast mode’ esque run that ended with him dragging multiple defenders on his back and scoring. Sophomore center Jack Regan was a key leader on offense, orchestrating many tries for his teammates and scoring quite a few times on his own, including the game-winning walk-off try as time expired in the final round to secure the championship.
For the Dudes, this season was nothing to scoff at, posting a respectable record with 6 wins and 2 losses, a notable improvement from last year. Captain Max Nelson and Mathew Daines anchored this squad with tough running and hard hits on defense. Junior wing Tommy Hamman showed once again why he is one of the most dangerous players on the field with his blazing speed. Freshman Noah Alvarez showed how good he can be scoring 9 tries throughout the campaign. Here is what Mathew Daines had to say when interviewed during the middle of the season: “The winter 2025 Dudes are a generational team. The chemistry between this group of men is unmatched. Having 4 wins under our belt we are strapped to clobber the Sues and Bennies for the title this year, The games have been scrappy so far, and that is where the Dudes thrive.” Unfortunately for them, they in fact did not clobber the Bennies. However, don’t write off the Dudes as they will be back with vengeance next year to try and claim the title for themselves.
To put it lightly, Intrasquads 2025 did not go the Sues way at all. One could say it was a rebuilding year. They battled with injuries all season and were never quite at full strength. Despite this, Freshman Sam Plockmeyer put on strong performances week in and week out, proving that the future is bright for his squad. If the Sues can stay healthy, then there is a real chance we could see them return to their glory days of years past.
The 2025 Intrasquads season came right down to the wire, with the Dudes and Bennies playing for the championship in the final round. The Dudes struck first in the opening minutes, with Noah Alvarez nailing the conversion to go up 7. Jack Regan then answered for the Bennies, breaking the defensive line and giving a pass to teammate Regan Plank for the score. With no time left in the first half, Kiyan Jacobs made a break through the line and was about to score when Plank chased him down, causing a turnover and ending the half. With the score at 7-5, the Bennies kicked off to the Dudes who drove down the field and scored again, going up 14-5. Once again, the Bennies responded when Jack Regan picked weak side and broke the defensive line, eventually leading to a Luke Zana try and conversion, closing the gap and making the score 14-12. With time dwindling down, Zana forced a turnover, giving the ball back to the Bennies. Referee Shea Loughnane exclaimed that time had expired and that there was one final play left. With the ball in their own half, the Bennies had 60 meters between them and the championship. With a combination of strong runs from multiple players, the Bennies found themselves on the Dudes 22 meter line, when Jack Regan found a gap, picked again, and dove into the try-zone to win the game, and the championship, for the Bennies.
At the end of the day, this Intrasquads season proved one thing for the Wolverines: the future is certainly bright. Numerous Freshmen and underclassmen made dazzling plays, demonstrating their ability to play high-level rugby. Now that Intrasquads is over, the Wolverines look to prepare for stiff competition in their next A-side tournament, the Fighting Irish 7s at the end of March. The squad aims to prove that they belong as one of the elite teams in the country, looking to make a statement and improve upon their 8th-place finish at the CRCs last year. Stay tuned for information about upcoming tournaments and events by following our social media pages. Thank you, and as always, Go Blue!
