Students romp to 18-0 win over admins in debut game

SGA quarterback Drew Harbur 07C (blue shirt) beats the rush of Jakim Hartford (center) and Steve Sencer. Harbur connected with Kovarik Glasco 07MBA on an 85-yeard touchdown pass and confidently led the SGA offense in its 18-0 victory over the Administration during the inaugural Dooley Cup game, Feb. 26 on McDonough Field.

Photo by Bryan Meltz

See more exclusive photos by Bryan Meltz of the Dooley Cup game.

In the run up to the inaugural Dooley Cup flag-football game on Feb. 26, the Administration team led by Gary Hauk 91PhD practiced several times over the course of a couple months, diagramming plays and developing strategy.

It didn't matter much.

When Hauk's team of administrators took the field against a team of Student Government Association (SGA) members, it was the younger squad that took their elders to school. The result was an 18-0 shutout that wasn't as close as the score indicates.

As a result, the Dooley Cup (held by SGA President Ryan Paddock 07BBA and President Jim Wagner on the cover of this month's EmoryWire) now resides in the SGA executive office on the fifth floor of the Dobbs Center.

“I'd say the difference was about 20 years on average per person,” said Hauk, vice president and deputy to the president, who served as coach, national anthem player (on his trumpet) and Administration defensive back.

While Hauk's assessment of the age factor may not be too far off, the five interceptions thrown by Admin quarterbacks had a lot to do with the defeat as well. Four of those were picked off by Matt Poliner 09C, a sophomore from Palm Coast, FL. He returned two of them for touchdowns, including one on the Administration's first play from scrimmage. It was a harbinger of offensive struggles to come for Admin quarterbacks Scott Schamberger (assistant dean for admission) and Earl Lewis (provost). Plagued by first-half turnovers, the Administration actually held the ball for most of the second half, but never could get close to the end zone.

Such difficulties were not experienced on the SGA side. Quarterback Drew Harbur 07C, a senior from Jupiter, FL, frequently had his pick of open receivers. And he mixed it up, completing passes to both male and female members of his team (the game was played using Emory's intramural co-ed rules for flag football).

But Harbur's favorite receiver was Kovarik Glasco 07MBA, a graduate student from Colorado Springs, CO. Midway through the first half, Glasco, who played center the whole game, turned a simple five-yard slant into an 85-yard touchdown pass that was the game's highlight and gave the SGA a 12-0 lead.

“I'm graduating in May, so this just puts a little icing on the cake,” said Glasco, who, along with Harbur, played football in high school.

“This win was all about teamwork,” said SGA coach Larry Reicher 08L, a second year law student from Pompton Falls, NJ. “Matt [Poliner] had a great game and so did several of our women—all of them came to play.” After the game, Reicher received the ceremonial dousing of the water cooler.

Planning for the Dooley Cup game began during the fall semester when Santa Ono, vice provost for academic initiatives, brought up the idea in conversation with students. That's when the format pitting the SGA against the Administration was hatched. Teams were formed beginning in December. The SGA drew from its membership. Hauk and Ono put together the Administration team, which also included President Wagner.

“This game was great fun,” Wagner said afterward. He admirably played several defensive positions. “It's a great way to bring the whole campus together.”— Eric Rangus