The first game of the tournament saw Darkside take on Florida State, the 2nd-highest ranked team in the pool, and despite being down at the conclusion of the first half, Darkside rallied and came away with a 13-10 win. The team went on to beat Illinois and Maryland, and as such was able to take a loss in their final game against Oregon.
The quarterfinal round proved to be a grudge match, as Darkside took on Colorado in a rematch of last year’s final. Darkside’s intensity was clear from the beginning, and they outplayed and outworked Mamabird to a 15-9 win, setting the stage for UNC’s 3rd matchup of the year against UCF in the semifinals. The presence of rain and wind from the start of the game did little to phase Darkside, and UNC soon found its rhythm and broke away for a 15-10 victory.
The finals once again placed Darkside face-to-face with Oregon, and taking advantage of the wind, Darkside began wreaking havoc with its signature zone and took an early lead. Despite their best efforts, Oregon seemed unable to settle themselves and continued to make errant throws, allowing Darkside to add to the lead. With the score standing at 14-6, Darkside’s O-line took the field for the final time and, fittingly, the game ended with a Ben Snell to Jon Nethercutt connection, as Darkside claimed its 1st National Championship in program history!
Lastly, next year’s tryouts for Darkside will take place within the first couple weeks once school starts back up, so if you’re interested in being part of a team that aims to take home another championship, keep an eye on our Twitter for tryout dates.
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