By Emily Couchman/reporter
SE Campus had its annual flag football playoffs Nov. 6 with nine teams and several free agents.
“Whoever plays has a chance to play the other campuses,” said Brandon Payne, receiver for team TB.
The students who make up these teams come from different backgrounds with different reasons for playing. Some said they are trying to improve their game to earn scholarships while others said they just want fun, but all are serious about their sport.
“Every team has a season and a chance at the tournament,” said Dominique Wiley, wide receiver for TB.
Each of the teams played a full season against one another, but no one is eliminated until the playoffs. The teams played four-man football for 30-minute games for a chance to eliminate their competition and secure their places in the championships this week.
“It’s pretty much like backyard football,” said Edwin Varrios, a free agent receiver.
The first game pitted TB against D&D. Just a couple of minutes into the game, Wiley intercepted the ball and ran 85 yards for a touchdown. The game continued in much the same vein with a final score of 37-14, eliminating D&D from the tournament.
The second game was played by So Icy and America’s Team. So Icy quickly gained an advantage on America’s Team with its offense. With a final score of 32-6, America’s Team was eliminated.
I Work took on Krazy in the day’s third match. In the second quarter, I Work’s quarterback ran 40 yards and jumped over another person into the end zone making the first touchdown of many. With the final score of 30-20, Krazy was eliminated.
The fourth game saw M.O.B. play The Unknown. In the second quarter, an M.O.B. player ran the ball. At the 40-yard line, the player’s flag was grabbed. However, the flag remained on his belt. Both teams assumed the player had been caught and stopped play. The player then slowly walked to the end zone to make a touchdown without any interference. The final score was 21-0, eliminating The Unknown.
AK and TB took the field next. The game was full of literal twists and turns, jumps and swerves. One AK member successfully threw the ball 80 yards to a teammate for a touchdown. The game was intense with the lead going back and forth. In the end, AK won by a final score of 33-27.
The final game consisted of Jihad and I Work. During the first quarter, I Work’s free agent wide receiver was injured after being tackled. After sitting out the rest of the quarter, he rejoined the game and made several impressive jumps and twists helping lead his team to a win. With the final score of 34-20, Jihad was eliminated.
The campus semifinals and final are scheduled for Nov. 13. AK and So Icy will compete first at 10 a.m. followed by I Work and M.O.B. at 10:30 a.m. The campus championship game will be played by the two winners at 11:05 a.m.
