The Division I Intramural flag football semi-finals and championship games had a lot to live up to since the early playoff rounds featured many classic contests. Trying to follow up its stunning defeat of the Real Deal, Phi Tau took on Sigma Chi in the first semi-final game. Down 28-21 late in the second half, Phi Tau executed a perfect two minute drill and scored the game-tying touchdown with twenty seconds to go. Sigma failed to get off a good kick return and started its drive on the 15-yard line, needing a small miracle to get within field goal range. With sophomore wide receiver Matt Usdin out with a torn ACL and MCL, Sigma looked even less likely to pull off the feat. But sophomore quarterback Peter Smith hauled a sixty-yard pass to classmate Jake Moore down the right sideline in bounds. One might say that the Smith-Moore combination was reminiscent of Doug Flutie’s game-winning Hail Mary pass to Gerald Phelan against Miami in 1984, or even better. Junior kicker Matt Seconi got a field goal attempt off in time, but he pushed the ball wide right. However, Phi Tau took a page out of the Mike Shanahan playbook by calling a timeout split seconds before the kick went off. Seconi would get another chance.

“I guess they were trying to ice Matt out there,” sophomore coach Esteban Morgan said. Morgan, normally a starting tight end for Sigma Chi, has been sidelined with Tommy John surgery.

On his second opportunity, Seconi drained it, giving Sigma a hard-fought 31-28 victory.

In the other semifinal game, the Angry Jeffs defeated Tau Delta, 42-28. The contest was closer than the score may indicate, as the Deltas failed to convert on a fourth-and-goal to tie the game with four minutes left. Tau Delta senior Mike Nanna, who has been an absolute force on both ends of the ball, scored two touchdowns in the game but failed to make the quintessential clutch play that he is known for. However, Nanna and his teammates would get another chance at the title, as the Angry Jeffs forfeited their spot in the championship game to Tau Delta because they had lacrosse practice.

Unlike the other games that we have witnessed the past few weeks, the championship game proved to be anti-climatic, with Sigma Chi blowing out Tau Delta, 35-14. Smith dominated running and throwing the ball all day. Nanna and fellow Pelham native Alex “Whit Tits” Whitaker scored the Delta touchdowns.

Sigma Chi received a huge boost from sophomore additions from the Intramural powerhouse Clifford after starting out 0-2. These sophomore additions no doubt led Sigma to a championship, and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact the ex-Red Dawgz will have on the intramural scene down the road.

With the season now complete, it is time to hand out some awards. The season MVP goes to Peter Smith from Larchmont, New York. Smith is a five-tool quarterback and flat-out dominated intramurals this season by amassing over 20 touchdowns and throwing only three picks.

“It is a great honor — one that I will always hold dear to me,” the MVP said. “I would like to thank my teammates and friends for all the support they have provided. I’d also like to thank my mom for always telling me that I could do anything if I put my mind to it.”

Joining him on the Division I First Team are Mike “the Cream” Nanna (Tau Delta), Jesse “J.L.” Brooksy (Beta), Michael Banks (Phi Tau), Lee Sloan (Real Deal), Garrin Rose (Real Deal), Matt Lambert (Phi Delt), Matt Lalli (Angry Jeffs) and E.J. “The Hulk” Atamian (Angry Jeffs).

Division I Games of the Year: 5. Angry Jeffs 38, Real Deal 30 (regular season game in which Real Deal played with five players) 4. Real Deal 33, Phi Delt 28 (Phi Delt almost shocks the IM universe with a near-upset). 3. Tau Delta 38, Phi Delt 35 (Nanna nearly concusses himself with an interception that was the play of the year) 2. Sigma Chi 31, Phi Tau 28 (see above). 1. Phi Tau 49, Real Deal 48 (IM Game of the Century).