The Men’s DIII national championship game is set, with Wayne State and Holy Cross winning semifinals Friday at SaberCats Stadium in Houston, TX. The Wildcats and Crusaders will meet at 12 p.m. CST Sunday, with the winner claiming its program’s first national title.
Wayne State was resolute in returning to a third-straight national championship game, beating the Colorado School of Mines, 46-15, and Holy Cross had all it could handle in its 27-22 defeat of previously unbeaten Duke.
In the first semifinal, Wayne took a 22-0 lead before the Orediggers sunk a penalty right at halftime to get on the board. The Wildcats scored eight tries in the contest; openside flanker Diego Stefani leading with two, and No. 8 Francisco Rolon, lock Brendan Hruska, wing Ayabo Mlobeli, wing Max Burke and fullback Latitha Marah all recording one each.
Mines added two tries in the second half, the first in the 54th minute from fullback Zane Sokolowski kicking, chasing and regathering himself. The second at full time on a pick-and-go from flanker Nils Jerger right after a quick-tap at the Wildcat five-meter-line.
The second semifinal was much more competitive, with the Blue Devils and Crusaders trading blow for blow the entire game. Holy Cross struck first when a pair of Duke penalties in quick succession resulted in a yellow card for the Blue Devils. The Crusaders scored two tries during the player advantage to take a 12-0 lead.
The first came after yet another Blue Devil penalty, this one a high tackle, and outside center Will Shuck scored immediately off the ensuing scrum. The latter was dotted down by scrumhalf Christian Rosowicz, who picked and dove over after an Evarts cross kick was collected at the Duke five-meter line.
Once back at full strength, the Blue Devils arrested momentum with a penalty in the 24th minute. Aidan Gallagher knocked it over from right in front of the posts after Holy Cross was penalized for being offside. The opportunity was made possible by a long break through the Crusader defensive line by Hanson.
Holy Cross returned the favor with a yellow card near the half-hour mark, but utilized Evarts’ boot to get up the field and regain a 12-point lead with a penalty kick. Duke took advantage of the power play immediately, with Bracken Smith quick-tapping a Crusader penalty near the Holy Cross 22 for the Blue Devils’ first try of the game. Gallagher’s conversion cut the deficit to 15-10.
Evarts used his legs for running instead of kicking to extend the Crusader lead right on halftime, pirouetting through several Blue Devil defenders for a try in the corner. The touch line conversion was no good, and Holy Cross led 20-10 at the break.
Duke cut the deficit four minutes into the second stanza, with flanker Roenigk Straub crashing over from a five-meter penalty. The Crusaders counter-punched immediately, camping out in the Duke end for a sustained period before No. 8 Matthew Schwab fended a pair of Blue Devils en route to pay dirt from a point-blank scrum. Evarts’ conversion made it 27-15 after an hour.
No. 8 Max Fausnaugh pulled Duke back within a try in the final few minutes, bowling over a pair of Crusaders with a short run. He also gave the Blue Devils one last attacking possession at full time with a massive counter-ruck, but a knock-on ended the comeback bid.
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