Flying Rats: A Brief History

We are the University of Georgia Flying Rat Toli Team and we are a registered club with the UGA Recreation Sports Department. The team was started at UGA in 1988 by Greg Keyes, who knew the sport from having grown up near the Choctaw reservation in Mississippi. The Flying Rats rapidly became the reigning national collegiate Toli champions. Thus far we are undefeated in collegiate competition.

 Unfortunately, this is primarily due to the fact that until recently, we have been the only college Toli team in existence. Our status as only college stickball team was changed by the formation of a stickball club team at Bacone College in Oklahoma. While the Flying Rats have yet to play the Bacone team, our eventual meeting is already been discussed. The fact that they play Creek rules should make the first meeting interesting and educational for all involed.

Appalachian State University students formed a Toli Team in 2004 and the App State Ivory Bills participated in games against UGA Flying Rats as well as participating in the demonstrations at Moundville. That team is now defunct.

It has recently been declared that Flying Rat alumn Glenn Matthews will be forming a team at Georgia Tech in an effort to create an in-state rivalry. Rumors of teams at Kennesaw State College and at various colleges in Tennessee remain unconfirmed.

The only other team the Flying Rats have ever played is Conehatta, from south central Mississippi. We have played Conehatta many times through the course of our history and only 5 times have we defeated them. Despite our record of defeats, the Choctaw games are always eagerly anticipated by both teams. These games give us a chance to gauge our progress as a team and to learn from a great group of Toli players, while the Choctaw get the novel experience of playing against the only non-Choctaw Toli team.

As with many University based teams, the membership of the Flying Rats has fluxuated over the years.

• Current Rats - 2008
• 2008 Invitational
• Past Rats - 2003/2004
• Past Rats - 2002
• Alumni Rats