USA Rugby crowns its fall champions in three college divisions and an all-season champion in another this weekend. In most brackets, we're going to see a new champion. Here are our picks:
Men's D1AA
Mary Washington has been unstoppable throughout the season. With a fairly experienced team bolstered by some talented new freshmen, including a few from overseas, UMW outscored conference foes 58-10, and even in the mud and rain during the first round of the playoffs, that scoring pace didn't let up.
The Mothers downed an excellent Kentucky team 38-7, and should be favored this weekend in the final.
However, St. Joseph's has been surprising everyone all year.
"We graduated a lot of good guys, and it's awesome to see the newer players step up and fill those shoes," said St. Joe's head coach Dan Yarusso, who embraces the underdog role for his team.
The St. Joe's backs are well known, but it's been the Hawks forwards that have produced, as well. George Harris covered prop, lock, and No. 8 well, and Micky Chapple and Nick Ballas have been excellent up front.
"The guys are excited for the opportunity to represent the college and the conference," Yarusso said. "Mary Washington has done well in a really good conference. We know we'll have our hands full."
Still, St. Joe's is an underdog, perhaps by a lot. The Hawks unleashed an unflinching defense that held Tennessee and Bowling Green to just 10 points each. If they can do that Saturday, they're in good shape, but it's something no one else has been able to do all fall.
Men's D2
The one all-season championship is down to its final four, with Norwich against VMI and Wisconsin-Whitewater against North Dakota State. It's been a special season for NDSU, but Whitewater, the defending champion, brings back close to the entire team that won it all last year.
Norwich vs. VMI will be the clash of military schools and will be a bit of a pick 'em, but Whitewater, led by a superb and experienced backline and an aggressive back row, should go all the way.
Women's D2
Last year, Davenport crushed all before them at D2 and finally moved up to D1. This year, Winona State returns with some experienced talent such as An Tran, Jesse Peterson, and Anna Olson. But the Warriors will have to get through a tough Cincinnati team first.
Coast Guard will play Vassar, which also made it to the final four with a rather intriguing game plan — Vassar was a smaller team than anyone else and yet used forward play and the pick-and-go to make yardage. It worked, but the Brewers will need more this time around. With Alicia Menard-Livingston directing traffic and running through traffic in the backline, Vassar might just get the job done.
It's a pick 'em weekend, but we're guaranteed a new champ.
Women's D1
The same goes for the women's D1 fall final, as Air Force won in 2016 and now it's Davenport vs. University of Notre Dame. UND has emerged as something of a surprise contender and got to the final after upending UConn — winners of the fall final in 2015 — 26-20 in the semis. The Irish needed a comeback to do the job, with Sophie Asah scoring three tries in that game.
Davenport has been winning big in D2 for some years now, and this year in D1 it's been more of the same as the Panthers went 9-0, averaging over 80 points per game. Davenport scored more than 100 points five times. So the real test was how would the Panthers respond when they met a strong defense?
No problem. Against Air Force, Davenport didn't panic. Hunter Moreland scored two tries, and Dannie Ordway was again brilliant in the backs. Winning 15-5 was far and away the Panthers' lowest scoring effort, but a win is a win.
It's hard to bet against Davenport, even as Notre Dame rides its momentum. Sunday's final should be an intriguing one, but we'll find that the Panthers from Michigan, whether in D2 or D1, will still be celebrating.