Legendary American swimmer Matt Biondi was once quoted as saying, “Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” The battle-hardened members of team Balls Deep showed the truth behind this iconic quote in capturing their first-ever IM flag football championship on Wednesday, Nov. 4th. Led by senior and team captain Harrison Rosenfeld and a potent offensive attack, team Balls Deep triumphed over the Derek Bell Memorial Squad 34-26. “We were able to do what we had to do and the title will be coming home to where it belongs: 1204 N. Weber, Trump Tower,” said Rosenfeld.
The game was played on a crisp fall evening, but in the first half it was a heated affair. For most of the first half both teams traded touchdowns back and forth. Junior Connor Haney and his squad looked up to the challenge of toppling a senior-heavy Balls Deep team. But with one minute left before halftime Rosenfeld drove his team down the field for a much-needed six points. The hurry-up drive, which began with less than 1:30 left in the half, resulted in a 14-12 lead for Balls Deep heading into halftime.
The first half was razor close, but the second half bust open into a Balls Deep romp on Washburn Field. One key factor that allowed Balls Deep to pull ahead was a full roster of 15 players. While Haney and the Derek Bell Memorial Squad played both sides of the ball, Balls Deep was able to deploy fresh legs for each offensive and defensive possession.
Fresh legs began paying off in a big way for Balls Deep as the second half progressed. Haney succeeded in picking apart the Balls Deep zone-read defense in the first half but began to see some pressure in the second half. Senior Alan Hurbi led a relentless Balls Deep pass rush that finished with three sacks in the contest. Haney found junior Jack McCormick, a two-way DIII soccer and lacrosse talent for the Tigers, late in the second half for a long bomb, but it proved too little too late.
The play that sealed the game for Balls Deep came from one of the youngest members of the team, sophomore Sam Block. Block played soccer for the Tigers last year and made an appearance in three games. Block has moved on from the soccer team at CC, but he left his mark on the IM Flag Football Championship midway through the second half with a momentum-swinging interception.
Senior Parker Moss said, “Our sophomore stud, Sam Block, came up with a huge play, a pick six. He really read the ball well and read the route and had the ability and agility to make it down the sideline and make it into the end zone.” Following Block’s touchdown Balls Deep had the title in the bag with a three touchdown lead and five minutes and change left in the game.
Team Balls Deep will leave this season in a blaze of glory, but their season up until Wednesday night had contained its share of trying times. The team started 0-2 and according to Rosenfeld, “a lot of people wrote us off.” A late-season push secured Balls Deep some momentum heading into the offseason.
When asked what professional team, fictional or otherwise, Balls Deep most represents Moss and Rosenfeld agreed on the 2014 New England Patriots. “We started off poorly and then came together in all facets of the game,” said Moss. If Balls Deep were the New England Patriots the team agreed that Rosenfeld would absolutely be Brady. Rosenfeld’s deceptive quickness led to one crucial second-half touchdown for the Tigers.
Last season, Balls Deep was denied at the doorstep of a championship by 2015 alum Will Schube’s team Scooter Maneuver. This season, the narrative was reversed. Balls Deep played the part of the senior gatekeepers and Derek Bell Memorial Squad filled the role of the junior upstarts. Moss and Rosenfeld both expressed with enthusiasm that the Derek Bell Memorial Squad are favorites to take home the championship next year.
As of Wednesday night, Balls Deep was focused on celebrating their first-ever title. Moss said, “First, we’re gonna get some dinner and then drink a little champagne, and then on to Hogan’s for some karaoke.”
Balls Deep has clawed their way to the pinnacle of the IM flag football world, but their ambitions do not end there. The squad will look to add to their IM dodgeball and flag football hardware with a title in broomball. In the spring, Balls Deep will be at Schlessman Natatorium vying for an innertube water polo title. Keep an eye out for Balls Deep in the coming IM seasons. As they’ve showed this fall, adversity will not thwart Balls Deep from claiming semi-attractive shirts and gaining immortality on the walls of El Pomar.