Youth football season winds down, Pepka tourney tops pits
The youth flag football season at The Center of Anna Maria Island is winding down and teams are jockeying for favorable seeding with an eye toward the quickly approaching playoffs and a possible spot in the March 12 Super Bowls.
LaPensee Plumbing continues to lead the pack in the 8-10 division with a 7-0 record on a 15-8 win over winless AMI Vacation Rentals. Bark & Co., at 5-2 is in a tie for second place with Tyler’s Ice Cream after earning a 27-21 victory over Heidi Johnston ReMax. Tyler’s improved to 5-2 by defeating Beach Bums, which falls to 4-3 and a tie for third place with ReMax. Eason Builders moved to 2-5 after nailing Miller Electric, which fell to 1-6 on the season.
In the 14-17 division, LPAC moved into a first-place tie by defeating Team Mannino 28-21, while Team Cuva moved to 3-4 with a 40-12 victory over Team Snyder.
Air & Energy improved to 5-1 and moved to within a half game of first place in the 11-13 division after defeating Tyler’s Ice Cream 26-6, which fell to 1-5 on the season. LPAC moved up the standings to 4-1 with a 42-20 victory over West Coast Air Conditioning, while the loss dropped WCAC to 1-5 on the season. Signarama evened its 3-3 record at 3-3 by edging Truly Nolen 12-6, and Nolen fell to 2-4.
The match up of the week saw the Feast, ranked 5-1, taking on Sugar Beach Digital, which came in with a 4-1 record and the highest-scoring offense in the 11-13 division.
Though the final score was 20-14 in favor of Sugar Beach, the outcome never seemed in doubt. After a three-and-out by the Feast, Sugar Beach wasted no time. Nate Costello got loose on a 30-yard run before Nate Hyman made the flag pull. An incomplete pass was followed with a pass from Noah Costello to Nate Costello for 10 yards. On third down, Nate Costello hit Joey Mannino for a short touchdown pass. Nate Costello then connected with Noah Costello for the extra point and a 7-0 Sugar Beach Digital lead.
The Feast’s second possession got off to a promising start as quarterback Dalton Guthrie found Conal Cassidy on a 15-yard post pattern but, on second down, Guthrie’s pass got intercepted by Noah Costello before a touchdown-saving flag pull by Hyman gave the ball to Sugar Beach at the 7-yard line.
Nate Costello found Noah Costello alone in the corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown pass. Nate Costello then hit Ava Zink for the extra point and a 14-0 lead with just over five minutes to play in the half.
The Feast’s next possession ended with another interception, this time by Sugar defender Alyssa Ely, who took it to the house for a 20-0 lead.
The Feast finally got on the scoreboard on its next possession as Guthrie hit Ozzy Lonzo on a seam route for a 45-yard touchdown pass to pull to within 20-6.
Sugar Beach got the ball back and, after two plays, netted 10 yards. Nate Costello was intercepted by Shawn Balvin, but the clock ticked away before they could take advantage.
Most of the second half was scoreless save for a safety by Guthrie, which pulled the Feast to within 20-8 as the teams traded three-and-outs. The Feast struck again just past the 11-minute mark of the second half with a four-play scoring drive. Guthrie connected with Hyman for 16 yards on first down and followed it up with a 12-yard completion to Cassidy. Balvin got loose for a 10-yard run on second down before Guthrie connected with Cassidy for a 12-yard touchdown pass to pull to within 20-14.
The teams traded three-and-outs until the 1:39 mark, when Sugar Beach salted the time away by holding the ball for five plays, thanks in part to a roughing-the-passer penalty, but Feast got the ball back with 59 seconds on the clock.
Zink came up with a quarterback sack on first down and Noah Costello followed with an interception to end any hope of a comeback from the Feast.
Nate Costello passed for two touchdowns and added four flag pulls on defense. Noah Costello added two interceptions, four flag pulls and a touchdown reception for Sugar Beach, which also received a touchdown reception from Mannino and an interception return for a touchdown from Ely, who added two sacks. Zink was another strong contributor on defense with three quarterback sacks.
Lonzo and Cassidy both had touchdown receptions for The Feast courtesy of passes from Guthrie, who also made 7 flag pulls and a safety on defense. Hyman was stout on defense as well, finishing with a game-high 9 flag pulls in the loss.
Adult flag football action
Action in the adult flag football league at the center moved into its fifth week. Moss Builders remains on top of the standings at 4-0 after defeating Mason Martin 32-7 in the first evening game Feb. 24. Mason Martin bounced back in the second game, defeating Beach to Bay Construction 18-9 to improve to 2-3. Beach to Bay fell to 2-2, a half game ahead of Mason Martin in the standings. Beach House Real Estate improved to 4-1 and moved into a tie for second place with Coldwell Banker after rolling past Tyler’s Ice Cream on a 27-6 score. The last game of the evening saw Coldwell Banker keep pace in the standings with Beach House Real Estate, thanks to a 54-22 shellacking of Truly Nolen. Nolen is still in search of their first win.
Horseshoe tourney honors Pepka
Regular horseshoe action Feb. 24 at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits was rained out, but Feb. 27 saw players saddle up for the second annual Ron Pepka Memorial Tournament. The tournament honors the longtime pitcher and former group leader.
Three teams advanced to the end of the double-elimination tourney. The team of Rod Bussey and Bruce Munro edged the team of Sam Samuels and Tom Skoloda by a 21-18 score to advance to the finals. In the finals, Bob Lee and Bob Heiger rolled to a 23-5 victory over Bussey-Munro to remain undefeated on the day and earn first place honors.
Play gets underway at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday — depending on the weather — 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 men played a modified-Stableford System or quota-points match Feb. 22. Dave Richardson led all golfers with a plus-5, followed by Jim Watt in second with a plus-4.
Watt’s score also helped his team, John Estok, Ken Rickett and Gary Risner, to finish first-place on a combined score of plus-2.
The women played a nine-hole, individual-low-net golf match Feb. 23 and with a nod to the EMU, there were no flights.
Gloria LaDue earned first place at 5-under-par 27, one stroke ahead of second-place finisher Mary Lou Dreier. Liz Lang and Barbara Estok took third place with matching 3-under-par 29s.
Wohlers, Judy Crowe and Jean Holmes had birdies on the afternoon.
The men took the course again Feb. 25 for a nine-hole team scramble. Art McMillan, Jim Menzies, Rich Papini and Ron Vandeman matched the 4-under-par 28 carded by the team of John Estok, Jack Lowry, Bob Soos and Jim Stewart to finish in a tie for first place.