CU2021 Write up

From Goff Rugby:

Colorado and Air Force were in a wild game that resulted in 91 points between the two teams. The lead changed hands seven times. Air Force wing CJ Gabriel scored 16 points in the first half.

Air Force had a blood sub in the first five minutes. CSU No. 8 Blake Richards Smith scored the game-winner at 57 minutes and anther try at 71 minutes to seal it.

Colorado scored at 14 minutes to lead 5-0 (wing Luis Castellanos); Air Force replied three minutes later (lock Michael Garofalo) and the Gabriel conversion put them up 7-5. Prop Trevor Barrios scored a try right after the restart and with a Charles Bradey conversion Colorado led 12-7. And then at 23 minutes Gabriel was over and converted, and then he scored again. From 14 minutes to 25 we have five tries and four lead changes!

It went on like that.

Down 26-17 with halftime looming CU scored a try to make it a two-point game, and then saw center Robert Dody red-carded. they could have folded right there, but instead opened the second half with a try from flyhalf Nick Soza.

Now the Buffs were in the lead, and then they weren’t as Air Force wing Brandon Reid raced over.

Moments later Air Force had two players in the sin-bin and Richards-Smith charged over to make it 34-31.

Colorado would not trail again. Bradey converted, and then flanker Zachary D’Amico was over that, with Bradey’s conversion, made it 43-31.

Gabriel came back with another try, his third, and ended the game with 23 points. But that just made it 43-36. Richard’s-Smith’s second try kept Air Force at arm’s length, and so No 8 Riley LaDuque’s try wasn’t enough.

It was a thriller all the way. It didn’t have an effect on the playoffs, but that didn’t matter to these two teams.

From our Coach to our team about the CU team. "Their pack had a weight advantage near 250 pounds; they had two experienced players with Eagle Impact Rugby Academy experience with one of them an All-American; another two players were nationally recognized as outstanding collegiate D1A freshmen of the year; another two were All-State high school rugby players; at least one of them was a transfer player from a top ranked program (Davenport); and the overall rugby experience level was almost 4 times that of yours. You have come a long way to play this match, one you could have won"