The Potomac Exiles traveled to Richmond for their second tournament of the season. They were joined by some familiar faces in the Maryland Exiles’ Old Boys. Both teams fought their way to the championship in the open and social divisions, respectively.
Potomac started out with three close matches against Charlotte, host Richmond and Norfolk. Playing into the contact-heavy schemes of their opponents, the Exiles made things difficult for themselves, but showed flashes of good sevens along the way. After taking some on-field lessons from their more experienced counterparts, led by coach Chris Harvey and former Eagles Owen Lentz and Eddie Galpin, Potomac waited for the semifinals to put a full game of sevens on display.
In the semis, the Exiles took on one-seed Charlotte in a rematch. This time, though, they played to their potential and backed each other for all 14 minutes. The boys moved the ball back and forth, stayed patient and found holes in the Charlotte defense. Team play and strong defense led them to the upset victory, 19-5, and an appearance in the finals.
Unfortunately some early scoring opportunities went begging, and Potomac fell to a strong Norfolk team. But the second-place trophy wasn’t the only one that they’d bring home. The Old Boys finished the job, running around and through players half their age on the way to the Social championship. Congrats MDX Old Boys.
Potomac Exiles’ Man of the Tournament: Iseijah “Juice” Allen
Juice was all over the field on Saturday. From his electric runs to track-down tackles, he led the way for the Exiles all day. Well done, Juice.