Bosco is a senior English and secondary education double major and can be contacted at haley.bosco@drake.edu
The intramurals program could not survive without you – the athlete. Whether you are a Drake senior still pining for a free T-shirt or a freshman playing on that bit of high school adrenaline still pumping, we love to watch you play. Without you, no games would be officiated and no champions would be glorified. In this essence, I would like to dedicate the core of this column to highlighting the favorite teams, the dream teams and the teams relying on “remarkable spirit.”
This past Sunday provided a notorious rivalry in a competitive flag football matchup between SigEp and FIJI. In a one-point nail-biter, SigEp was able to hold on and come away victorious. Whether it was the team’s hour-long warm-up session or its ability to bring every Drake ID to the game that gave them the win, one will never know.
In the men’s recreational flag football division, Flutie Pebbles stands strong in the leading position as its natural gift of playing teams that don’t show up has proven to be effective. In the women’s division, most teams have been able to find enough girls for at least one game, and Mice Catchers leads in standings. Despite a fan’s rhetorical comment this weekend, “you’re a girl, why would you know football,” the girls have been showing passion for a sport never exclusively offered to women in the same dynamic as the men’s game. In retrospect, I believe the comment was simply a product of the enraged fan section that was politely asked to move from the sideline to the end line. The intramurals program has always loved its fans and is hoping to provide stadium seating next year to prevent any future discomfort in viewing pleasure.
The soccer league continues to thrive with well-equipped and determined players. Toe Poke Express came up short in last year’s championship game, and I see them playing hard to make it just as far this season. I present great risks in publicly stating that one fraternity is in some way greater than another, but FIJI soccer teams have always displayed skill on the field, and their pride may lead them above all the others this season. Please don’t shoot a squirt gun at me in “fall kill” or whatever. As for the women’s league, new talent is always on the rise, and despite forfeits the teams seem to be fairly balanced in the standings. Look for a few close sorority games come playoffs.
Volleyball was the first sport played in the 2011 fall season, and we have seen an overwhelming number of ambitious underclassmen teams this year. The teams have all played at least three games so far and are gearing up for the first round of the playoffs, which are underway this week and next. As I have stated before, my default champion will always be an all-freshmen squad for this sport. These young players are motivated and dedicated because most rookie teams do not yet utilize free time in college to take naps but rather to intensely practice and scrimmage with each other.
Final Boss, an independent team, leads the men’s competitive division with four wins and one loss, and SigEp leads the fraternities. Look for a close match between these two teams if they meet in playoffs.
In the women’s division, Helicopters is holding on to the top spot. In the final rounds of playoffs, look out for either this team or Delta Gamma – which has used a common Greek strategy to double its chances of winning by creating two different teams.
The co-recreational teams are staying aggressive and are slowly extinguishing their irritation to the rule “each sex must touch the ball if hit more than once.” To be true to my encouragement of creative team names, I must send my best to the players in this league. Although mostly incredibly derogatory, best of luck to Sets On The Beach, Hit It N Quit It and Put It In Cider.
Until next time, please play by the rules.
