Vassar scored six tries against Davenport and is rewarded in the rankings. /// Photo courtesy Vassar Athletics •
The final DII College Fall Top 20 of the year includes results dating back to the Round of 16 through last weekend’s championship. All but two teams (Towson and Mary Washington) will be absent from the subsequent series of rankings, which focus on teams qualifying for the 2016-17 spring championship. And to reiterate, there will be no DII national championship this year.
On Sunday, Davenport won its second consecutive fall championship and validated its season-long #1 ranking. Tradition would place championship runner-up Winona State at #2; however, there were other factors to consider.
In Saturday’s semifinals, it appeared that Vassar had tunnel vision – consolidating the ball in the forwards (the bad weather hadn’t begun yet) and making few meters per carry. But then a clever strategy emerged as the Brewers relied on their discipline in the pick-and-drives, flooded the breakdowns, sustained long series of phases, and drew Davenport into penalties. The teams were separated by a try at one point in the second half, but the Panthers ended up winning by 15 points – by far their closest decision against a DII team this season. The teams actually scored six tries apiece, but points off the boot made a difference.
On the other side of the bracket, Winona State played a fun, wide-open game that more closely mirrored Davenport’s style. The Black Katts knew their final opponent, having played Davenport to a seven-point loss in last year’s title match, and was brimming with confidence after a 40-point semifinal win. Davenport’s semifinal experience produced an aggressive response on Sunday, and the Panthers dominated every aspect of the game in the shutout title win over Winona.
Athlete for athlete, Winona State probably wins those individual contests against Vassar. But we’re looking at the fall final four, and the Brewers get the nod for enforcing their game and giving the eventual fall champion a run.
The rest of the Top 20 is less controversial. The bigger moves resulted when the relative strength of conferences came into focus during the fall playoffs.
Congrats to all of the teams, especially those that featured on the Top 20. There are twice as many DII colleges playing 15s in the fall than spring, so it’s no easy feat. Toss in the 100-plus schools that were funneling toward last weekend’s NSCRO championship and the “second tier” competitions that several DII conferences host in the fall, and that’s a big chunk of collegiate rugby that is now done with competitive 15s for 2016-17. Thanks for a great season!
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