Sig Ep claims the All-U flaf football championship

Sig Ep defeated team Dump ‘Em Out  Wednesday night 27-21 in the All-University flag football championship game at Student Legacy Park.

The victory was Sig Ep’s first All-University flag football championship.

“It feels great,” said Sig Ep wide receiver Rhett Ybarra. “Especially for the seniors. Going out on top is pretty special.”

It was cold, rainy and windy. Everything one would expect from December football under the lights in Corvallis.

“The rain is always tricky,” said Dump ‘Em Out wide receiver Brett Bryant. “We had a couple of drops on offense from guys who are usually sure handed. It (also) makes pulling flags a little more tough.”

Wednesday’s championship was the Sig Ep A-Team’s only real challenge of their playoff run. The champs had back to back shutouts in the first two rounds and a blowout win in the Greek League championship and came into the All-U championship averaging over 37 points per game.

Dump ‘Em Out had a tougher road to the title game. The Intramural league champions clawed their way to the All-U championship. They won most of their games by only one score and averaged 20 points per game.

Despite the loss, Bryant is happy with the outcome of his team’s season.

“I’d say it went pretty well,” Bryant said. “We were able to make it to the All-University championship. You can’t really be upset about that.”

Both teams started the game off strong scoring most of their points in the first half but it was Sig Ep who made some huge defensive stops down the stretch to clinch the All-U title.

The game started with heavy dose of offense. Sig Ep scored on their first play from scrimmage and never looked back. They reached the end zone on every drive in the first half.

Dump ‘Em Out was right behind them matching Sig Ep’s scoring up until the last possession before halftime. They were unable to get on the scoreboard before time expired, resulting in a 20-14 Sig Ep lead going into the half.

The second half was a completely different story. Tensions were rising along with the level of physicality. Both teams saw the game change from an offensive showcase to a defensive battle.

Dump ‘Em Out received the ball to start the second half and quickly turned the ball over deep in their own territory. Sig Ep took advantage of the miscue and scored to make the game 27-14.

“We like to think we have a pretty solid defense,” Ybarra said. “As long as our offense takes advantage of the opportunities given, we’ll have a good chance to win.”

Dump ‘Em Out wouldn’t go away easy though, getting a quick touchdown on the following drive and coming up with a vital defensive stop late in the game.

Dump ‘Em Out had the ball trailing 27-21 with two minutes left. A touchdown and extra point would give them the title.

 The Sig Ep defense batted down four Dump ‘Em Out Hail Mary passes in the end zone, and forced a turnover on downs as time expired becoming the 2015 All-University flag football champions.

“We’ve won three out of the last four Greek championships,” Ybarra said. “But this is the first time winning the All-University championship, so that makes this year stand out.”

On Twitter @GarrettMartin40