No.  1 seed avoids upset in finals

Undefeated Air Force squeaks by No. 15 Free Agents 19-18 in championship game

By Maggie Thach

The Collegian

Nobody on the team knew each other, the team struggled through the regular season, only winning one game. But somehow the No. 15 seeded Free Agents managed to give the undefeated Air Force team a run for its money in the Division I football intramural championship game. But in the end, the Air Force showed why they were the No. 1 seed and won the game 19-18.

“This was by far the biggest challenge we had this season,” said Air Force quarterback Aaron Briesmaster, who ran in two touchdowns in the win. “It was hard for our defense to hang on. They definitely came prepared.”

The Free Agents, a team that is composed of players who don’t have a team to play with, were strangers when the season started but senior Eric Lee said the team has come a long way. They beat No. 2 Monkey Butlers and No. 3 Silver Bullets to get to the final game.

“We definitely thought we had a chance of winning,” said Lee, who scored twice for the Free Agents.

“We just started playing better in the play- offs because none of us knew each other when we started.”

The teams matched each other point for point until the second half when Free Agent’s Lee scored to extend the lead 18-13. Free Agents failed to convert the extra point, which proved to be crucial in the closing minutes.

On the ensuing drive, Air Force’s Briesmaster ran in the ball with 51 seconds left to put his team up 19-18. Solid defense sealed the win for Air Force and the 60-plus Air Force cadets and friends who came out to cheer on the team spilled out onto the field.

“We were in the championship game last year and we lost. I know that feeling and I didn’t want to feel that again,” Briesmaster said. “We’ll be back again next year and hopefully we can pick up where we left off.”

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