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Panther7s Claw Through Tropical 7s U23 Bracket

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Panther7s Claw Through Tropical 7s U23 Bracket

Panther 7s U23 Men:Kai Carlberg (Kentucky), Peyton Wall (Indiana), Noah Brown (Indiana), Will Chevalier (Indiana), Campbell Robinson (Kennesaw State), Jacob Goeppner (Kentucky), Isiah Radamacher (Kentucky), Ty Lewis (Kentucky), Isaac Bales (Louisville), Caleb Strum (Alabama), Jack Bradfield (Notre Dame College), Joey Backe (Western Michigan), Colby Pearl (MTSU).

The Panther 7s U23 men won the Tropical 7s Men's U23/College bracket Saturday, taking Life University down 20-0 after going 5-0 in Pool Play.

It was a hugely impressive showing by the team, which is run through the Panther Rugby Academy program in the South. With Gary Anderson from the University of Kentucky brought in by Program Director Mark Williams to coach the team, this was a group of talented collegiate athletes, all of whom have played for the HS All Americans, USA South U19s, or Eagle Impact Rugby Academy. 

Anderson brought in Dave Katz as another coach, and the team was strong defensively, giving up only 22 points in six games and shutting out Media, Texas Barbarians, Spring Hill, and Life. Only the S7ormers and C Side Deckhands scored any points against them.

"The boys were lights out on defense," said Anderson of a team that didn't give up a single break through the middle. "They never got disconnected, jockeyed when needed, and timed their shots perfectly."

On attack they ran a good pattern stretching defenses from side to side and waited for the chances to present themselves.

"We stuck to our pattern," said Anderson. "The boys stayed patient and never got frantic. You could tell many of them had been there before."

It was a strong team effort, but Jack Bradfield and Noah Brown were named players of the tournament. Bradfield calm amid the melee and his ability to make players at key moments made him a crucial addition to the team, while Brown's physicality and work rate earned him the nod.

Tropical 7s Men's U23 Scores
Pool Play Life University Men's 37 0 C Side Sailors
Pool Play Celtic Barbarians RFC U23M 31 0 New Orleans Voodoo
Pool Play Hartford Harpooners U23 14 24 Wheeling University
Pool Play S7ormers Rugby 35 5 Spring Hill College
Pool Play C Side Deckhands 12 24 Texas Barbarians
Pool Play Media Rugby 0 27 Panther7s U23M
Pool Play Celtic Barbarians RFC U23M 0 40 Life University Men's
Pool Play Hartford Harpooners U23 41 0 C Side Sailors
Pool Play Wheeling University 31 0 New Orleans Voodoo
Pool Play C Side Deckhands 0 26 S7ormers Rugby
Pool Play Media Rugby 33 10 Spring Hill College
Pool Play Panther7s U23M 34 0 Texas Barbarians
Pool Play Life University Men's 24 20 Hartford Harpooners U23
Pool Play S7ormers Rugby 26 5 Media Rugby
Pool Play Panther7s U23M 35 10 C Side Deckhands
Pool Play Texas Barbarians 35 10 Spring Hill College
Pool Play Wheeling University 35 12 Celtic Barbarians RFC U23M
Pool Play New Orleans Voodoo 15 10 C Side Sailors
Pool Play Wheeling University 12 40 Life University Men's
Pool Play New Orleans Voodoo 0 32 Hartford Harpooners U23
Pool Play C Side Sailors 0 34 Celtic Barbarians RFC U23M
Pool Play Panther7s U23M 38 12 S7ormers Rugby
Pool Play Texas Barbarians 26 7 Media Rugby
Pool Play Spring Hill College 19 24 C Side Deckhands
Pool Play Life University Men's 33 5 New Orleans Voodoo
Pool Play C Side Sailors 0 38 Wheeling University
Pool Play Celtic Barbarians RFC U23M 0 33 Hartford Harpooners U23
Pool Play S7ormers Rugby 17 20 Texas Barbarians
Pool Play Spring Hill College 0 30 Panther7s U23M
Pool Play C Side Deckhands 10 15 Media Rugby
9th/10th C Side Deckhands 39 5 New Orleans Voodoo
7th/8th Media Rugby 26 24 Celtic Barbarians RFC U23M
5th/6th S7ormers Rugby 12 26 Hartford Harpooners U23
3rd/4th Texas Barbarians 19 29 Wheeling University
11th/12th Spring Hill College 0 30 C Side Sailors
Final Panther7s U23M 20 0 Life University Men's