CRC 7s Nationals Tournament Recap

A 3-day grueling 7s tournament played at the University of Maryland saw USD challenge schools from across the US in an effort to defend their 7s title from last year. Here’s how the games played out.

Game 1- USD 24-5 Maryland

USD had a 3-match slate ahead of them on Friday, starting with the University of Maryland. Conditions were brutal with hard rain and fast winds affecting game play. USD started the scoring with a Paul Habeeb try, before Maryland countered with a score before the halftime break. Michael Ramos started the scoring with a long-range try in the second half before scampering runs from Daniel Suhr and Devin Hoovel iced the game. It was an imperfect performance from the Toreros but their commitment to defensive pressure won them game 1.

Game 2 USD 24- Boston College 0

USD found their form in game two, with a no-doubter against the BC Eagles. Relentless defensive pressure in the first half led to two scores from Michael Ramos from short range. As in game 1, Devin Hoovel and Dan Suhr put things out of reach with tries in the second half. Felix Morales and Anthony Bonilla made strong impacts in the second half as substitutes.

Mother Nature intervenes

A big factor in the weekend was the weather, with USD’s planned 3 rd game of the day being called off due to unsafe weather conditions. Thunderstorms in the area caused the suspension of play Friday afternoon. There was a lot of movement in the schedule, with the final result being USD in the Quarter Finals due to the 2-0 start and their margin of victory.

Quarter-Finals- USD 28- Bowling Green 0

Sunnier conditions on day 2 led to more open attacking rugby. USD made some mistakes early in the quarter-final but got hot starting in minute 3. Shane Jamison went around his defender and scored a long-range try from a set piece. Bowling Green attacked well but were sent backward from strong tackles from Sam Carlson, Devin Hoovel, and Michael Lewis. Paul Habeeb won several big turnovers before Daniel Suhr scored before halftime. USD picked up strong in the second half, with Dan Suhr throwing a big pass to Paul Habeeb who raced in to score. The Toreros were again strong defensively and kept the opposition deep in their own 22. A turnover led to some tight attacking play and a strong carry from Jackson Short led to Michael Ramos scoring from close range. Michael Lewis went 4-4 on conversions for a dominant USD win.

Semi-Finals- USD 22- University of North Carolina 0

USD started the game with an excellent kickoff from Michael Lewis. His kicks were crucial all weekend, with Paul Habeeb’s chase equally important. The opening kick was won by USD, who held possession until Daniel Suhr opened the scoring. UNC responded well with some possession and territory that threatened the USD try line. Multiple times the Tarheels spotted space behind the Torero’s defensive line and sent kicks through. Devin Hoovel was up to the challenge and pounced on all kicks through, with his dive onto a ball in the try zone leading to a 22 drop out for USD. The drop out from Lewis went direct to Shane Jamison, who popped the ball inside to Paul Habeeb. Habeeb accelerated into space and stepped past the sweeper for another score for USD. It was time for the Toreros to display their championship-level defense. UNC embarked on a long period of possession, including a minute and a half of ball-in-hand inside the USD 22. The clock went well past the 7-minute mark with UNC running phase after phase near the try line. At the 9-and-a-half-minute mark, still in the first half, Habeeb tossed the UNC ball carrier into touch for a massive momentum shift for USD. The second half was all USD, with Michael Ramos pulling in multiple defenders before passing to Suhr for a score. A yellow card to UNC for a high tackle off the ball led to another USD score, with Shane Jamison waltzing in from close range.

With that, USD advanced to the Final and were set to square off with Clemson!