Monday, July 20, 2009

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And then there were four! By SPORTS WRITER ~ For the Guardian: On Sunday past, the Winton Rugby Field was packed with players and fans all awaiting the start of the Bahamas Flag Football Association (BFFA) playoffs. All eight teams battled on Sunday, and at the end of the day, only four teams were left standing, advancing to the semi-finals scheduled for Sunday July 5. In the first game of the day, Lemon Garospe of the Warriors threw 10 touchdown passes as his team scored 63 points against Lorenzo Bullard and his Fort Charlotte Snappers. The final score was a whopping 63-6 as the Warriors took an easy win in the opening game of the playoffs. Winning quarterback Garospe threw four touchdown passes to wide receiver Sean Ferguson, and two to wide receiver Bubba Smith. Wide receiver John Smith reeled in two more, and fellow wideouts Joe Johnson and Tyrone Forbes caught one each. In the second game of the day, quarterback Brian Baker of the Rugby team made a comeback after a four-week hiatus to battle veteran quarterback Michael Foster and his Orry J. Sands Pros. While the Pros offense executed some 'picture perfect' plays, they were no match for the Rugby team who played football almost identical as they do rugby. The Pros defense just could not stop the 'pass and lateral' offense of the Rugby team. The Rugby team easily advanced to the semi-finals after defeating the Pros, 59-26. Winning quarterback Brian Baker threw eight touchdown passes. Wide receiver Gio Rolle caught three, wide receiver Duran Beadle caught two, and fellow wideouts Phil Davis, Andrew Bodie and Roman Knowles caught one each. Linebacker Christian Knowles returned an interception for a touchdown. In the third game of the day, the EastSide Predators, who finished the season in second place, were expected to dominate the RBC Lions who ended the regular season in the seventh position. It was a defensive battle as both teams limited their opponent's scoring. The Predators led 18–13 with just over a minute left in the game. It was at this point that veteran quarterback Obie Roberts of the RBC Lions started a comeback drive that resulted in them scoring with only seconds left in the game. The RBC Lions completed the upset, 19–18. Daniel Belton had two touchdown passes for the Predators. Wide receiver Nathan Forsythe caught one and had two receptions. Fellow wideout Sherwin Braynen caught the other touchdown. Cornerback Donny 'Polo' Braynen had one interception returned for a touchdown for the Predators, and linebacker Bruce Beneby added two sacks. In the final game of the day, the Goodman's Bay Spartans battled the K.O. Lunatics. Both teams were evenly matched and this evident by the half-time score which favored the Goodman's Bay Spartans, 13-12. The K.O. Lunatics re-grouped to take a 19-13 lead in the second half with about five minutes left in the game. They also got an interception on the Spartans' next drive which almost sealed the victory. The K.O. Lunatics used up a lot of time on the clock and were in the red zone when Kendrick Austin of the Spartans intercepted the ball to give the Spartans one last chance at making a comeback. Quarterback Jayson Clarke found wide receiver Patrick Lockhart in the end zone for a quick score to tie the game, 19-19. With just over a minute left in the game, Charles Johnson led a defensive surge as he forced a turnover to give the Spartans a chance at winning the game. They moved the ball down the field and with only seconds left on the clock, Ulan Dawkins caught the winning touchdown to give the Spartans a dramatic 25–19 victory. Winning quarterback Jayson Clarke threw four touchdown passes, one each to wide receivers Rashaad Clarke, Ulan Dawkins, Patrick Lockhart and Javier Bowe. Charles Johnson had five sacks and linebacker Kendrick Austin had one timely interception. For the losing Lunatics, wide receiver Randolph Symonette caught three touchdown passes, and safety Ichiro Rahming had one interception. The semi-finals will get underway on Sunday at the Winton Rugby Field. In the first game at 2:30 p.m., the Spartans will take on the RBC Lions, and in the second game at 4:30 p.m., the Rugby Team will take on the Warriors. All teams in the association are invited to participate in the Devard Darling Flag Football Tournament, scheduled for Saturday July 11, from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. It is a one-day tournament, and interested teams will be required to pay a registration fee. Tournament organizers are aiming to have a total of 16 teams participating. Interested teams are asked to contact Jayson Clarke via e-mail. As a result of the one-day tournament, the Bahamas Flag Football Association championship game will be moved back to Sunday July 19. Wednesday, July 1, 2009