For any faithful reader, it might be surprising to come across an article in the sports section not centered on a varsity sport or athlete. However, it is also a rare occurrence for two separate intramural flag football teams to win three straight Villanova flag football titles and a Philadelphia City 6 Championship. For the men’s “Team Donovan” and co-ed “3-PEAT,” three-year winning streaks and City 6 titles were well-deserved and expected accomplishments.

The Philadelphia City 6 Championship, held this year at Drexel, is the biggest flag football event of the season for teams from six Philadelphia-area schools: Villanova, St. Joseph’s, Drexel, Penn, LaSalle and Temple. It is a one-day, single-elimination battle to “crown the flag football champion of the city,” according to junior “3-PEAT” captain Mike Ranuro. “Team Donovan” never tasted a sweeter victory than in its final game, but its victory against Temple was nothing short of unbelievable. With just 10 seconds left on the clock, a pass from Connor “Fanelli Who” Dwyer to Eric “Snoop” Weber helped score the winning touchdown.

Temple, a team that has won the City 6 title for past three years, failed to repeat its victory this year despite knocking Villanova out of the City 6 twice before. In the finals against Drexel, “Team Donovan” recovered from a halftime deficit to win 18-14 after a 40-yard touchdown from Weber. For senior captain Dwyer, the season could not have ended better.

“It was a great feeling as a group of seniors to finally win the City 6 Championship after two years of tough back-to-back defeats to Temple, who was considered unbeatable, and to be able to go out on top.”

For “3-PEAT,” victory was not as suspenseful, as the team easily swept past St. Joe’s 27-0 and then Drexel 18-0 in its first two games of the tournament. With only 10 yards left to go and less than a minute on the clock, LaSalle had a chance to tie or win. However, Ranuro ended the game by intercepting a pass, leading Villanova to a 21-6 victory and the City 6 title. For Ranuro, their triumph was a team effort.

“We could not have won without every single person on the team,” he said. “It was a long day with three games, including the last two back-to-back, and every single person made a significant contribution.”

For “3-PEAT,” winning has become a regular occurrence, as they have won 18 straight games at Villanova. In addition to its perfect 9-0 record this year, the team scored 185 points and allowed a mere 15 points.

Ranuro attributes his team’s success to “some talented players, but also a love for flag football.”

“Everyone on the team loves flag football, and we all love each other,” he said. “We have great individuals on this team.”

Both teams look forward to next season with the hopes that they can repeat these phenomenal accomplishments. The seniors of “Team Donovan” expect nothing less than another championship for next year’s team, while for 3-PEAT, the winning tradition has only just begun. They are currently considering the name “Dynasty” for next season.

“We will not lose next year; we are a dynasty,” Ranuro said. “We are the greatest flag football team in Villanova. Ever.”

With this colossal sense of team spirit and love for the game, “3-PEAT,” is sure to see much success in the future, and so is “Team Donovan.”