Might 23, 2022 by Chris Cassella in Recap with feedback
OC’s Jonathan Costello. Picture: Paul Rutherford — UltiPhotos.com
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MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — The defending D-III champion Oklahoma Christian Eagles will face the top-seeded St. Olaf Berzerkers within the championship ultimate on Monday morning. St. Olaf cruised by means of their quarterfinal and semifinal, with comfy wins over Scranton (15-4) and Berry (15-11). Oklahoma Christian had a snug win over Grace in quarterfinals (15-7) and a hard-fought universe level win within the semifinals over Middlebury (14-13). This semifinals win was the second universe level recreation for OC this weekend—in addition they took down fellow semifinalists Berry Bucks 15-14 in pool play on Saturday. St. Olaf was additionally not proof against the tight pool play video games; they went down early to Oberli Flying Horsecows and needed to battle again to win the sport 15-13.
St. Olaf missed out on an opportunity to face Oklahoma Christian within the 2021 nationwide ultimate once they misplaced to Middlebury on universe level within the semifinals in Norco. Now, 5 months later, the matchup is right here.
The 2 packages each characteristic deep groups with some star gamers. For St. Olaf, Will Brandt has a professional case to be the Participant of the Yr. He’s an anchor on offense that may work by means of zones with artful hammers, in addition to a high defender that takes huge matchups. Benjamin Fjetland-Souza and Luke Bleers are sturdy handlers for St. Olaf as effectively. For Oklahoma Christian, Elliott Moore is the go-to man. He, together with Jonathan Costello and Max Hamilton, make up an environment friendly offensive core for the Eagles that may work by means of each matchup and zone defenses. On the opposite aspect of the disc, Sammy Roberts will run the offense after a flip, and Thomas Maguire will generate blocks on high cutters.
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The largest distinction between the 2 groups lies of their techniques. St. Olaf runs a way more full offense than Oklahoma Christian. In a zone, the Eagles run by means of Moore virtually completely to generate their ahead motion. Whereas Moore does command the disc, on this occasion it’s his teammates trusting him to make the fitting choices in huge conditions. Whereas Brandt is a go-to participant within the zone for the Berzerkers, different gamers on the Olaf offense are comfy working the disc downfield.
Defensively, Olaf runs some zones which have annoyed groups within the subject this weekend. Oklahoma Christian likes to poach the open aspect lane to decelerate handler pushed offenses. They’re a zone workforce in principle however depend on their athleticism in most conditions to get blocks on opposing offenses. Coach Garrett Wilson is an skilled strategist, so it wouldn’t be shocking if OC has been saving some defensive seems to be for the ultimate.
If OC desires to win one other nationwide title, they might want to discover a option to include Brandt. There has not been a defender this weekend who has been capable of shut him down. OC should cycle by means of their high defenders to decelerate Brandt and the scientific St. Olaf offense. OC may even must play a lot tighter on offense than they’ve this entire weekend. The Eagles had some fundamental miscues all through the weekend—most of their turns had been on smaller passes and throws behind cutters. St. Olaf goes to be one other workforce, like Middlebury, that’s a lot much less seemingly to provide the disc again after an unforced turnover. If the Eagles can restrict these errors and play tight protection, they’re primed and able to get their second consecutive nationwide title.
For St. Olaf to achieve the mountaintop for the primary time in program historical past, they’ll have to have the ability to pressure turnovers within the handler area. OC is the perfect within the division at enjoying small-sided final on the objective line. In a whole lot of cases, they’ll simply put on defenses down, swinging it backwards and forwards and calling timeouts as wanted. If St. Olaf can disrupt the handler circulation, normally pushed by Moore, they’ll be capable of pressure turnovers and rating break possibilities. Olaf can be going to should include the older, taller duo of Costello and Hamilton. Costello is a troublesome cowl downfield, so he’ll draw their high cutter matchup. Hamilton is a bodily handler, so he’ll draw their second or first handler defender relying on if Moore or Roberts is on the sector.
Circumstances tomorrow morning must be fairly good—a excessive of 54 and winds round 7 mph. Each groups will probably be effectively rested and giving it their all for the largest recreation of their season. For St. Olaf, this win can be the fairy story ending to an undefeated season. For Oklahoma Christian, this win would validate this system as the most effective within the nation, greater than only a flash-in-the-pan workforce that introduced in Kyle Henke to win a title.
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No matter who wins, it will be an thrilling ultimate in Milwaukee. Tune in stay on Ultiworld.com/stay or watch beneath:
Oklahoma Christian vs. St Olaf | D-III School Championships
Chris Cassella
Chris Cassella is from Orange, Connecticut, and began enjoying pick-up on the age of 11. He’s a graduate of the College of Richmond, the place he performed 4 years with the Richmond Spidermonkeys. Whereas at Richmond, Chris received a nationwide championship (2017), two Excessive Tide titles (2019, 2020), and the “worst choices award” 4 years in a row. He’s a present graduate scholar on the College of Texas at Austin, the place he’ll play his fifth 12 months with TUFF. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter (@nerdyboypolis) to see his day by day takes about zone protection, political science, and I-35 visitors jams.
TAGGED: USAU School D-III Males’s, Closing, Introduced by Spin Final
The Gophers football program addressed a need in the middle of its defense for the 2025 season with Oklahoma State linebacker Jeff Roberson on Thursday night.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound graduate transfer from Choctaw, Okla., totaled 58 tackles, including 8.5 for lost yards, three sacks and one interception in 12 games in 2024. He had a middling 57.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, along with 19 pressures, but also 11 missed tackles last season.
Roberson played 670 snaps last season, but only 107 across 2021 and 2023. He played special teams as a freshman in 2020 and missed the 2022 season with injury.
Roberson will help fill the void left by leading tackler Cody Lindenberg; the Anoka native declared for the NFL draft after the regular season and skipped the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams top the U’s depth chart at linebacker going into next season.
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The Gophers have added 15 total players via the NCAA transfer portal since early December and are still looking for help at cornerback and possibly defensive line.
The Cowboys went to the SEC to pick another linebacker out of the portal.
Ole Miss transfer Trip White, who was listed at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds last season, pledged to Oklahoma State, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. White played in all 13 of the Rebels’ games this past season, his redshirt sophomore year. He made one tackle, primarily playing special teams.
White played in three games while maintaining a redshirt as a true freshman in 2022. He appeared in five games in 2023, and to this point has totaled nine career tackles.
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Out of Parkview Magnet in Little Rock, Arkansas, White was a three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class and chose Ole Miss over offers from Arkansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Indiana and others. The 247Sports Composite system tabbed White as the No. 1,103 player in the class, the No. 109 linebacker in the class and the No. 12 player from Arkansas in 2022. He also started as his team’s quarterback as a high school senior, throwing for 2,035 yards and 19 touchdowns to go with 445 rushing yards and seven more scores.
White becomes the third linebacker the Pokes have grabbed out of the portal, joining Bryan McCoy (Akron) and Brandon Rawls (Saginaw Valley State). White’s addition comes a few days after Jeff Roberson hopped in the portal. With Roberson, Nick Martin, Collin Oliver and Kendal Daniels all gone from last season’s squad, OSU’s linebacker room — like most position rooms — will look quite a bit different heading into 2025. Kap Dede is set to coach that group, with new OSU defensive coordinator Todd Grantham bringing him in from Western Kentucky.
The Oklahoma Sooners will open the 2025 softball season on Feb. 6 against the CSUN Matadors in San Diego. After a historic season, Oklahoma faces a lot of turnover after losing a number of fixtures in the lineup to graduation.
The Sooners certainly aren’t lacking for talent, however, as a trio of players were named to Softball America’s preseason All-American teams on Tuesday.
Sophomore outfielder Kasidi Pickering and Utility/DP Ella Parker were named to Softball America’s first team. Newcomer Abby Dayton was named to the second team.
Parker led the Oklahoma Sooners with a .415 batting average from the utility role. She also had 13 home runs and 62 RBIs as a true freshman. Parker hit .500 over Oklahoma’s final four games to clinch their fourth-straight national title.
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Pickering hit .389 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs as a true freshman for the Sooners. In the Women’s College World Series final against Texas, she had home runs in both games against the Texas Longhorns to win the championship.
Abby Dayton is one of a number of impact transfers for the Oklahoma Sooners this season. She led the Pac-12 in batting average, hitting .431 and also had an on-base percentage of .510 for the Utah Utes.
The Oklahoma Sooners will have a new look, but led by this trio of stars, the defending national champions will be ready to compete in the SEC.
More: 5 Oklahoma Sooners included in Softball America’s top 100
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