4 teams chase perfection in youth football league
It was another exciting week of youth flag football at The Center of Anna Mari, where four teams are separating from the pack in the league’s three age divisions.
Team Mannino improved to 4-0 in the 14-17 division after defeating LPAC 26-20 during Feb. 5 action. The loss dropped LPAC to 2-2. The other division game of the week saw Team Cuva earn its first victory, rolling by Team Snyder on a 48-8 score. The loss dropped Team Snyder to 1-3 on the season.
The 11-13 division has two unbeaten teams. First up, there’s 4-0 Sugar Beach Digital, a 32-16 winner over 1-3 Tyler’s Ice Cream in Feb. 2 action and 3-0 Air & Energy, which slipped past West Coast Air Conditioning by a 14-7 score. The Feast improved to 3-1 after outscoring winless Progressive Cabinetry 37-34. LPAC improved to 2-1 on the season after rolling past winless Signarama by a 32-14 score, while Truly Nolan remains in the mix with a 2-1 record.
LaPensee Plumbing sits atop the 8-10 division with a 4-0 record after edging Beach Bums 18-14 in Feb. 1 action. It drops the Bums to 3-1 on the season. Bark & Co. improved to 3-1, thanks to a 26-6 victory over winless AMI Vacation Rentals. Tyler’s Ice Cream improved to 2-2 with a 12-6 victory over Miller Electric, which fell in the standings to 1-3 with the loss.
The game of the week, however, was the 26-20 victory by Team Heidi Johnston ReMax over Eason Builders during 8-10 division action Feb. 5.
Eason got the first possession of the game and embarked on a six-play touchdown drive. Bryon Law got things going for the builders when he gained 9 yards on first down, followed by an 8-yard run by Tyler Bogad. On third and three, quarterback Landon Williams hit Law for a first-down pass to keep the drive alive.
On first down, a reverse to Ashton Hovda gained 8 yards, which would have been more but he was tackled, resulting in a penalty and first down for Eason Builders at the 2-yard line. Law then found Williams alone in the end zone for a 6-0 Eason Builders lead that would be short lived.
Heidi Johnston ReMax got the ball and on first down and Quinton O’Connor took a handoff on a sweep left and zig-zagged his way to a 45-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 6-6. A double reverse pass to Charlie Faul for the 2-point conversion gave ReMax an 8-6 lead that would not be relinquished.
When Eason Builders got the ball back and on first down, it appeared they had retaken the lead when Hovda got loose on a 45-yard touchdown run, but a flag guarding penalty negated the score and the drive ended with a first-down saving flag pull by O’Connor on Tommy Baugher.
On first down, O’Connor once again got the ball on a sweep for ReMax and, once again, he was off to the races on a 45-yard touchdown run, giving ReMax a 14-6 lead with 35 seconds left in the half.
Eason Builders went into their hurry-up offense and, on first down, Williams hit Law for 5 yards, followed by a 4-yard run by Law on second down. On third and 11, Hovda swept left before cutting across the middle to complete a 36-yard touchdown run to pull within 14-12 as the half ended.
Heidi Johnston ReMax got the ball to open the second half. On first down, Zack Stewart got loose for a 45-yard touchdown run and a 20-12 ReMax lead.
The teams traded offensive possessions until the 4:10 mark of the game when runs by O’Connor and Faul gave ReMax a first down at the 12-yard line. Kierra Johnston dropped back and found Stewart for a 12-yard touchdown pass and a 26-12 lead.
Undaunted, Eason Builders quickly went on the attack. Hovda somehow eluded the defense for a twisting 9-yard gain on first down. On second down, Williams found Law behind the defense for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Williams then hit Hovda for the 2-point conversion to pull to 26-20, but ReMax ran out the remaining 32 seconds to secure the victory.
O’Connor and Stewart finished with two touchdowns each to lead ReMax, while Johnston added one touchdown pass. Faul chipped in with a two-point conversion, three flag pulls and an interception in the victory.
Hovda led Eason Builders with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, while Law and Williams each scored one touchdown in the loss.
Horseshoe news
Three teams emerged from pool play during Feb. 3 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits. Bob Palmer and Bryon Wagar drew the bye into the final and watched as Gene Bobeldyk and Rod Bussey slipped past Bob Mason and Al Marchciti by a 22-19 score. Bobeldyk-Bussey rolled past Palmer-Wagar 22-6 to earn bragging rights for the day.
Horseshoe action Feb. 6 also saw three teams advance to the knockout round. Bob Lee and Bussey drew the coveted bye, while Bob Mason and Palmer skunked Tim Sofran and John Crawford 24-0 to advance to the finals. In the finals, Bussey-Lee defeated Mason-Palmer 22-14 to earn a trip to the winner’s circle.
Play gets underway at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection.
There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
Key Royale golf news
The Key Royale Club women completed their two-round, 18-hole President’s Cup tourney Feb. 2. The first round of nine holes was played Jan. 26. Sue Little compiled a 3-under-par 61 to earn a two-stroke victory over second-place finisher Tootie Wagner.
Congratulations, ladies!
The men of Key Royale Club got out on the course for a few rounds of golf last week, starting Feb. 1 with two sessions. The morning saw a nine-hole, two-best-balls-of-foursome match. The team of Chet Hutton, Jim Auch, Hank Tremblay and Fred Meyer combined on a 9-under-par 55 to earn a one-stroke victory. The team of Bruce Allan, Tom Bode and Charlie Porter matched the 8-under-par 56 carded by Bull Shuman, Dennis Schavey, Jack Isherwood and Andy Barber to tie for second place.
The men were back on the course later that day for a nine-hole, modified-Stableford System match, that was won by the team of Art McMillan, Larry Pippel, Ron Buck and Chuck Patrick on a plus-3. Tim Friesen, Tom McDonald, Ken Rickett, Barry Izzard and Greg Shorten all carded plus-5 scores to finish in a five-way tie for best individual score.
The Key Royale women played a nine-hole, individual low-net match in four flights Feb. 2 that brought out 52 golfers.
Phyllis Roe, Sue Little and Marilin Thorton all carded even-par 32s in Flight A to finish in a three-way tie for first place. Pam Lowry and Helen Pollock were another stroke back in a two-way tie for second place.
Tootie Wagner rode a chipin on the seventh hole to a 3-under-par 29 and first place in Flight B. Rita Allan was alone in second at even-par 32, while Penny Williams took third place with a 2-over-par 34.
Deb Richardson fired a 2-under-par 30 to take first place in Flight C by two strokes over second-place finisher Terry Westby. Joyce Lathrop was another stroke back in third.
A 2-under-par 30 by Penny Auch gave her a two-stroke victory and first place in Flight D. Marcia O’Brien took second place with an even-par 32, while Markie Ksiazek finished 2-over-par 34, alone in third place.
The men were back on the course Feb. 4 for a nine-hole team scramble that saw Merritt Fineout, Dale Johnson, Larry Pippel and Tim Friesen match the 2-under-par 30 carded by Ron Buck, Wayne Patterson and Dave Richardson for a two-way tie for first place.