Despite a questionable choice by its would-be starting quarterback, the Wrecking Crew flag football team emerged victorious in a 16-team tournament at the Ohio State Adventure Recreation Center on Saturday.

“Our original quarterback left us for a date,” said Dave McDermott, replacement quarterback of the champion squad. “We voiced our displeasure and you can see our offense took a big hit after that.”

The player’s absence ended up not being quite as big of a hurdle as the team imagined, with the defense stepping up in the team’s final two games of the Ohio Union Activities Board-sponsored tournament.

The grand prize was a dinner in the VIP room of Eddie George’s Grille 27 restaurant on Super Bowl Sunday.

“We did this because of the Super Bowl,” said Maggie Lengerich, coordinator of the event.

Each tournament game lasted 22 minutes and was played with basic five-on-five rules, Lengerich said. It was funded by OUAB through the student activity funds.

Teams were required to have at least two female players on the field at all times. A female player also had to touch the ball on at least every other play, which led to some creative hand-offs and laterals.

McDermott began the championship game with a preview of what was to come, as he threw an interception on the very first play of the game.

The Wrecking Crew got on the board first when Andrea Marshall completed a touchdown pass to Kyle Kauffman. McDermott then completed the two-point conversion to Elise Kauffman.

The first half score was the only points the team would need as they held their opponent to a touchdown and failed two-point conversion to emerge victorious.

The team played in a co-recreational league this past fall and came in second place. They were excited to have a chance at redemption McDermott said.

“I’m moving to Colorado soon, so this is my last hurrah,” Marshall said.

The team was energized about the prize it won even though most of the players had no strong alliance to either the Chicago Bears or Indianapolis Colts, the participants in this week’s Super Bowl.

Other than team member Andy Frye, who is a Colts fan, McDermott said the rest of the team were just football fans in general.

“I don’t have any preference, but I think the Colts are going to do it this year,” Kyle Kauffman said. “Because of how they ended the season and they turned it around defensively.”

Andrew Kieta can be reached at [email protected].