Club Flag Football Competes in National Championships, Blake Named All-American
Despite a long tradition with the NIRSA National Flag Football Championships, it has been decades since an NC State team traveled to compete on collegiate flag football’s highest stage.
In December, the Club Flag Football team at NC State made the 18-hour trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma to take on the best intramural and club flag football teams across the country. The event featured 13 men’s teams, including in-state rival UNC-Charlotte and other top collegiate competition.
Club vice president Everett Blake ‘24 earned NIRSA All-American honors during the tournament as a standout performer. Blake also works as a program assistant for Wellness and Recreation where he oversees the flag football officials that work intramural sports games.
“The All-American was something of a final piece of validation I needed as a football player,” said Blake. “Being unable to complete the walk-on process as a freshman left some holes in my confidence and this award was easily the best achievement I’ve ever received as an athlete. The award and our team’s success at Nationals were incredibly fulfilling.”
NC State got off to a great start in the pool play rounds with three straight victories over Emporia State (15-0), Oklahoma State (21-20) and UNC-Charlotte (14-13). They earned the fourth seed in the playoff bracket and took care of business in round one with a 34-0 shutout, again over Emporia State.
In the quarterfinals, NC State found themselves facing a buzzsaw in eventual national champions Georgia College & State University. NC State lost 34-20 to end their tournament with a 4-1 overall record.
“Making it all the way to the national tournament was a massive peak for the club,” said Blake. “Playing against the best teams in the nation and performing at a very high level speaks to the culture my teammates and I have built and the future ahead of us.”
As one of over 50 club sports organizations at NC State, the team is led by student officers. These leaders face incredible fundraising and logistical challenges to make it to a national championship.
“We went from having no hope of a postseason to placing in two regionals and getting enough donations to cover the trip to nationals, despite several unexpected obstacles along the way. After a car engine failure, fitting eight guys in a car for 15 hours, several teammates’ flights being delayed, and paperwork problems, just getting to the site in time to play was monumental,” said Blake.
- Categories:
