VICENZA, Italy -- It took eight days and nine matches, but U.S. Army Garrison Italy has crowned Company E, 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, as the 2015 Flag Football Champions.

Company E, 54th BEB, defeated U.S. Army Africa in the final game 20-12 on Oct. 20 here on the Caserma Ederle artificial turf field.

"I was proud of them, but I expected them to win," said the company first sergeant, Sidney Small. "I knew that we had the talent to win it all."

E Co.'s Matthew Zarek was named Most Valuable Player for exemplary play throughout the weeklong tournament. Zarek led his team to victories over the 509th Signal Battalion (27-6) and Company B, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (13-7), before his team topped USARAF to take home the title.

USARAF made it to the final match by taking out 2nd Platoon, 529th Military Police Company (28-12), and Company D, 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion (29-6).

The consolation game between Co. D, 54th BEB, and Co. B, 1/503rd, ended up being a close one, with Co. D edging out a one-point victory (16-15) to take home third-place honors.

The USAG Italy Sports and Fitness Office said the tournament had to overcome many challenges to even take place, including muddy field conditions that required the tournament to be moved to the artificial turf field.

But Sports Programmer Ricky Jackson said the teams were up to the task. "This did not stop the show," he said.

Both Co. E, 54th BEB, and USARAF advanced to the Army Europe Unit Level Flag Football Championship that took place in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.