A flag football team from Tech now has a state championship to call its own.Gold Snuffleupagus claimed the crown at the Tennessee Intramural Recreational Sports Association tournament, held over Halloween weekend.
The event, held at Middle Tennessee State University, hosted 12 teams.
During its championship run, Gold Snuffleupagus ran the table, winning all five contests by an average of 26 points.
In the final, they went up against a team from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
The Tech representatives won that matchup 40-21 to earn the title.
“We played as a team,” said quarter back Rich Froning. “Everyone knew their part and executed perfectly.”
Froning, along with Danny Brough and Darren Gregory, earned All-Tournament honors.
The TIRSA also named Froning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Aside from stellar play, Froning attributed some of the team’s success to the team’s uniform and name.
Gold Snuffleupagus is a tribute to the Sesame Street character, Mr. Snuffleupagus.
“It’s a psychological thing,” said Froning. “Teams get frustrated when they are being beaten by guys in pink shirts and ridiculous clothes.”
The regional tournament is up next for Gold Snuffleupagus. Western Kentucky University will host the event from Nov. 21-23.
With a win at WKU, they would advance to the national tournament in New Orleans.
“It is great to expose Tennessee Tech to other universities and to see regular students exceeding in extramural sports across the region,” said player-coach Gregory, who also works in the intramural program at Tech.
“These students travel and represent Tech in a positive way, and it really does show that we are ‘More Than Tech.’
