For as long as anyone involved in intramural sports can remember, Theta Phi Alpha has dominated the women’s flag football league.
That is, until last fall, when Delta Gamma defeated Theta Phi for the championship. Theta Phi planned to come back the next year and defeat its rival.
“Last year was the first time we’ve lost in probably 20 years. This year, we were a lot more organized to make sure we’d do really well,” said Anna Gardner, psychology junior and athletic chair of Theta Phi.
This year, Theta Phi had a 7-0 record. The team shut out the opposition in every game, including the final against Delta Gamma, which it won 12-0.
The team was led by communications sophomore Jamie DeMore, Defensive MVP, and drama/communications junior Rachel Sokalski, Offensive MVP.
Three other leagues also played in the intramural flag football finals, held Nov. 4 at Avenger Field in Audubon Park.
In the men’s recreational league, The Slackers repeated as champions, beating Squids B 20-6. Squids B members are of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and most of The Slackers are 2002 graduates of Archbishop Rummel High School.
But there’s a bigger story behind the team’s rebound from a 1-2 start.
“We had a really good defense, but it was the team bonding at Madigan’s that made us win. Every Wednesday, we went straight there from our games,” said team captain Kevin Ello, criminal justice sophomore.
Criminal justice sophomore Christian Briceno and communications sophomore Gene Guillot were awarded Offensive and Defensive MVP, respectively.
The Rec Plex Raiders, made up of Rec Plex staff, won the co-recreational final over LASO, 26-0.
Jeremy Johnson, criminal justice graduate student, won Male MVP, and psychology junior Tiffany Curtis captured Female MVP.
Two alumni teams competed in the men’s competitive finals, with No Clue edging 12 Pack 19-6.
“We just go out there to have fun and see if we can still play,” said Chris Williamson, A&S ’92, Law ’95, “and I guess we can.”
On Nov. 21, Loyola will send two teams, one women’s and one men’s, to the Louisiana Collegiate Intramural-Recreational Sports Association flag football tournament at LSU.
Since no alumni, faculty or staff are allowed to play in the competition, the third place student team (Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Squids A) from the men’s competitive league will represent Loyola instead of No Clue, an all-alumni team.
Theta Phi Alpha will play in the women’s tournament.
