GRR: Central Washington
All of the DI spring quarterfinal match-ups have a bit of drama attached. The Mid-Atlantic and Southwest showdowns are essentially replays of the teams’ respective conference finals. The South pits the traditional powerhouse against the successful upstart. The West is even more dramatic.
Central Washington is into the semifinals of the Varsity Cup after surviving a tough quarterfinal match against Utah at CWU's venue in Ellensburg, Wash.
Stanford and Central Washington were the clear leaders during last weekend’s Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference playoffs. On Saturday, the pair combined for 199 unanswered points, but Sunday competition brought more resistance. The Cardinal fielded a younger team against Washington State and won 41-22, while the Wildcats subdued a good UC Davis 57-10.
Today was Central Washington’s coming-out party. Teams within the Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference are well versed in the Wildcats’ attributes, but none of the playoff-bound teams – save Washington State – had actually seen CWU play in person until today. So Central Washington made a statement, posting 101 unanswered points against Chico State.
Washington State will take the second North seed to the Pacific Mountain Conference championship (March 28-29), and Saturday’s game against Central Washington proved that the Cougars deserve it. Even though the Wildcats prevailed 31-19, WSU rounded out its regular season with a playoff-worthy performance.