After Saturday there was no doubt which sorority knows their football on the SMU campus as the Chi Omega Actives beat the Chi Omega New Initiates, 6-0, for the Sixth Annual Pike Powder Puff tournament Championship to benefit the Ryan Gibson Leukemia Foundation.
The Chi-O Actives put together a total team effort with each player coming up with spectacular plays, but in the end Allison Myers was named tournament MVP for her multitude of highlight-reel rushes.
The championship game, played in Ford Stadium, was a defensive struggle as the Actives had interceptions by Stephanie Sewell, Brittany Stovall and Kristen Sudela, while Amanda Vanni had two picks for the younger group.
The Chi-O Actives got their score from Myers to take a 6-0 lead in a game that was physical from the outset.
In the end, the Actives’ defense wouldn’t allow the New Initiates to move the ball anywhere, as Holly Jarma and Heather Young repeatedly made plays behind the line and forced Initiate quarterback Jill Wright into rushed throws all day long.
“It’s great being back-to-back champions especially because I’m a senior,” said Active captain Kristin Sudela, “and it’s also nice to know that Chi-O will continue to have a strong team in the future with the way our new initiates played.”
To reach the final, the Chi-O actives were challenged by a strong law school team.
The game was tied at the end of regulation but Chi-O struck first in overtime with Allison Myers eluding two tacklers on fourth down to put the Owls up 7-0 after completing the extra point.
The law school answered back with Emily Horton scoring on a QB sneak. The law team then went for two points and the win.
A fade to Lynn Jenkins in the corner of the end zone fell short and the Law School despite being the only team to score a single point against the Chi-O’s in the last two tournaments fell 7-6.
The Chi-O new initiates reached the final with a 6-0 victory in the semifinals over an undermanned Theta team.
Despite playing with one less than the usual seven players for the entire semi-final game, Theta fought hard on both sides of the ball only to lose on a spectacular touchdown pass from Jill Wright to Melissa Martin.
The tightly fought contest was dominated by the Chi-O defense that allowed only two first downs for the entire game.
The low scoring final three games were not indicative of a day highlighted by the high-powered Chi-O Active attack.
In three different games, the Chi-Omega Actives put up 20-plus points as they scored on interception returns (Sudela), punt returns (Young) and touchdown passes from quarterback Amy Messer. The defense was just as stout with Jarma coming up with multiple sacks on the front line, Melissa Nixon making plays on both sides of the ball and Nicole Dodge reportedly being offered a scholarship by Coach Bennett as she pinned teams inside the 20 all day with her booming punts.
Fifteen teams played in this year’s event that raised $4,500 for the Ryan Gibson Leukemia Foundation thanks to the generous donations of Campisi’s, Audi, STA Travel, Margarita Ranch, McCartney’s, Ball’s Burgers, Mr. Tuxedo, Plaza Health Foods, Flash, and Pony Express Printing. “It was a fantastic event,” said Pike Philanthropy chair Brooks Thomas, “that was a culmination of the play of the sororities, the beautiful weather, and the generosity of our sponsors.”
The win gives Chi-Omega back to back championships and their third victory overall as they won the inaugural tournament in 2000. Pi Phi won the next two years before the Law School took the championship in 2003.
“We started this tournament six years ago to honor Ryan Gibson with the idea that it would be a unifying event on campus,” said Law School coach Andrew Novak.
“I think it continues to accomplish both of those goals. Teaming up with the Red-Blue game was really a great idea this year and I think the tournament can only keep growing in the future.”
Rest assured that Chi Omega will be intensely waiting to defend their title.
