Flag football season kicks off ‘spirit’ at center
It’s Anna Maria’s version of a tailgate party.
The flag football youth league at The Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, held a dress rehearsal of sorts Jan. 9 when it hosted Spirit Day, a daylong jamboree of mini-games.
The league has four age groups starting with the 5-7 instructional league, where standings will not be kept, and the focus is on learning the game and having fun. There also are 8-10, 11-13 and 14-17 age divisions. Games are played Monday through Friday evenings at the center field starting Jan. 11 and winding up with March 12 Super Bowl matchups in the three competitive divisions.
Spirit Day results in the 8-10 division saw Bark & Company edge Beach Bums 19-13, Anna Maria Island Remax shutout Miller Electric 12-0, LaPensee Plumbing ease past EBG 6-0 and Tyler’s Ice Cream earn a 12-0 shut out over Anna Maria Vacation Rentals.
Air & Energy defeated Signarama 13-6 to open the 11-13 action. Tyler’s Ice Cream followed with a 13-6 victory over Progressive Cabinetry, Truly Nolan defeated Sugar Beach Digital, The Feast rolled to a 20-0 victory over West Coast Air Conditioning and LPAC edged Tyler’s Ice Cream 7-6 in the final fun game in that age group.
Results for the 14-17 division were not provided.
While the games don’t count in the standings, they allow coaches and players to experiment with different offensive and defensive schemes.
The action gets started for real this week. So lace up the cleats and get ready for some football.
Horseshoe news
Four teams advanced to the knockout stage during Jan. 6 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits. The team of Bob Heiger and Sam Samuels slipped past Art Kingstad and Tom Skoloda by a 22-15 score in the first semifinal, while Roger Nigg and Bob Lee eased past Bob Palmer and Neil Hennessey by a 21-15 score in the second semifinal match.
The finals were all Nigg and Lee as they cruised to a 21-7 victory to earn bragging rights for the day.
Two teams advanced to the finals Jan. 9 prior to the day’s downpour of rain. The team of John Crawford and Keith Erickson rolled to a 21-5 victory over Sam Samuels and Jim Kleiner.
Play gets underway at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits, 10005 Gulf Drive. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
Key golf news
The Key Royale Club men opened their new year of golf with a pair of matches Jan. 4. They got out in the morning for a nine-hole, better-ball-of-partners match, that saw the team of Bill Shuman and Jack Isherwood combine on a 5-under-par 27 to grab first place. Tom Lewis and Paul Proxy, Andy Barber and Neil Hammer and Bob Dickinson and Hank Tremblay were all a shot back in a three-way tie for second place.
Later in the day, the men were back on the course for a nine-hole, modified-Stableford System or quota-points match. Fred Miller and Gerald Smith both finished at plus-3 for the best individual scores on the day. Miller and Smith also were part of the top scoring team, joining Keith Offenhaun and Ken Ricketts in carding a plus-2 to match the score of Art McMillan, Lex Halakan and Larry Pippel.
Thirty women braved heavy winds to hit the links on the first Tuesday of the year for a nine-hole, individual-low-net golf match Jan. 5.
Pam Alvord’s 3-under-par 29 was the low round of the day and gave her first place in Flight A. Helen Pollock was alone in second with a 1-over-par 33, while Mary Lou Dreier was another shot back in third.
Jana Samuels and Jan Turner finished in a tie for first place in Flight B with even-par 32s. Samuels was awarded first after a tiebreaker — a better score on the number-one handicap hole. Sue Wheeler took third place with a 2-over-par 34.
Marty Clark grabbed first place in Flight C with a 2-over-par 34, one stroke ahead of Joyce Lathrop and Sally York, who carded matching 3-over-par 35s.
The men were back on the course for a nine-hole, team scramble Jan. 7, that saw the team of Jack Isherwood, Jim Watt, Peter Lund and Rich Papini combine on a 7-under-par 25 to grab clubhouse bragging rights for the day.
The team of Art McMillan, Dan Richardson, Blake Ress and Ron Vandemann matched the 6-under-par 26 carded by Quentin Talbert, Greg Shorten and Jon Holcomb for a two-way tie for second place.
The club is at 600 Key Royale Drive, Holmes Beach.