We recap the second half of the year in sports for Anna Maria Island, which brought lots of action at the Center of Anna Maria Island, at the horseshoe pits at Anna Maria City Hall and on the island’s only golf course — the Key Royale Club.
July
July opened with adult soccer champs crowned at the Center of Anna Maria Island. C.A.B.B. Cleaning won a pair of matches, including a 3-2 victory over Salty Printing July 1 to complete an undefeated season. Luca Vechio, Lindsey Styka and Austin Nutting each scored for C.A.B.B.
Also, early in July, Elsa dumped a lot of rain on the area, forcing the postponement of several sporting events.
But Key Royale Club was in the news with an Independence Day scramble. The team of Jeff and Sherry Drinkard and Dave and Kerry Sears combined on a 9-under-par 23 to earn bragging rights.
August
August was a quiet month, the highlight coming from the center pitch, with Beach Bums’ winning the 8-11 championship. Beach Bums defeated Moss Builders 4-1 behind two goals from Savannah Coba and a goal each from Dylan and Brandon Sato in the Aug. 10 championship game.
September
September also was quiet, with the adult flag football league at the Center of Anna Maria Island playoffs the most compelling.
The quarterfinals got underway Sept. 16, with We The Best Lending defeating TMT 28-14. Other results included Ray’s Ramblings win over Cortez Deep Sea Fishing 21-6, Catalyst’s win over Beach Bums 20-12 and TBT easing past Sandbar Restaurant 24-19.
The month ended with semifinal action in the adult flag football playoffs. No. 5 seed TBT upset No. 1 We The Best Lending 28-22 thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from Matt Briley, while Catalyst advanced to the finals with a 14-6 victory over Ray’s Ramblings behind a pair of TDs from Evelyn Long.
October
The month started with the adult flag football championship game between Catalyst and TBT. Catalyst cruised to a 19-8 victory over TBT behind the strong play of quarterback Jon Moss, who finished with three touchdown passes.
The youth soccer league playoffs at the center kicked off Oct. 12, with The Gitt Team defeating Shady Lady 2-1 in the 8-10 division. Colin Bankert and Matthew Winsper scored the winning goals for Gitt. The second quarterfinal match of the night saw Beach Bums slip past Tidy MD 4-3.
Adult basketball playoffs got underway with Paddy Wagon dispatching Blue Lagoon by a 37-25 score, while Solid Rock Construction cruised past Slim’s Place 72-57 and Beach Bums eliminated Sandbar Restaurant 50-49.
Meanwhile, an Oktoberfest scramble at Key Royale Club took place Oct. 8. Taking first was the foursome of Laurie and Marty Hicks, Terry Tarras and Debi Wohlers on a combined 4-under-par 28.
Playoffs in adult basketball and youth soccer were on tap Oct. 18, when Paddy Wagon defeated Beach Bums 57-52 behind 22 points from Thomas Gish to advancer to the championship game.
Moss Builders toppled Solid Rock Construction thanks to 17 points from JB Shuck to win the second semifinal game.
Semifinal action in the youth soccer league at the center took place Oct. 19 in two age divisions. Blalock Walters defeated HSH Designs in a penalty-kick shootout after a 1-1 tie through regulation time. Andrew Graham and Mason Moss both converted on spot kicks to propel Blalock Walters to the finals.
The second 11-14 division semifinal saw Miz & Hiz Biz cruise to a 7-2 victory over Anna Maria Island Wines behind five goals from Jackson Pakbaz.
The first 8-10 division semifinal saw Moss Builders and Beach Bums battle to a 1-1 tie through regulation time with Moss prevailing in a penalty-kick shootout.
In the shootout, Mason Moss was the only player to convert his spot kick, giving Moss Builders the victory and a spot in the finals.
The fall recreational soccer league at the center concluded Oct. 26, with championship games in the 8-10 and 11-14 age divisions.
The 8-10 division championship game between Moss Builders and Solid Rock Construction ended in another 1-1 tie, sending the game to overtime, then penalty kicks. Solid Rock failed to put any of their penalty kicks past Moss goalie Mason Moss, while Oliver Morrison-Tirpaka and Landon Sinphay converted theirs kicks to give Moss the championship.
The 11-14 division title game lacked the tension and drama of the 8-10 match as Miz & Hiz Biz rolled to a 4-0 victory behind four goals from Jackson Pakbaz and a pair of saves from goalie Konnor Oelfke.
The coed adult basketball league at the center ended Oct. 25, with the championship game between No. 1 seed Moss Builders and No. 2 seed Paddy Wagon.
Paddy Wagon cruised to a 57-38 victory behind 14 points from Thomas Gish, 12 points from Trey Yarn and 11 points from Jeremi King.
In other golf news, 60 Key Royale Club members participated in a SpooKey Scramble Oct. 29 and battled scary winds and frightening rain showers. The team of Kathy and Tim Donnar, Jedy Menchek and Tom Solosky handled the conditions best to grab first.
November
Fifty-six Key Royale Club members played in the “Welcome Back Scramble” Nov. 12. Event chairperson Larry Pippel modified the course, making all nine holes par 3.
First place went to the team of Jim Auch, Chuck Bode, Chet Hutton and Mike Riddick with a score of 5-under-par 22. Three teams tied for second place at 3-under-par 24 so a scorecard handicap-hole playoff was conducted giving second place to the team of Mike Cusato, Jim McFarland, Rich Salzburg and Bill Shuman.
The women were on the course Nov. 16 for Zany Doe Day where golf was secondary to zany outfits.
The team of Jana Samuels, Betsy Meyer, Carol Duncan and Brenda Solleveld were the winners of the Zany Scramble. Annette Hall won the longest drive while Marty Clark won the zaniest dress, beating out second-place finisher Sue VanOrsdel for the honor.
December
In the fall adult soccer league championship game Dec. 16, No. 6 seed The Gitt Team was a decided underdog to No. 1 seed Sato Real Estate. Throw in missing two prominent players including your goalie for the first half and you have a recipe for disaster.
That recipe was followed to precision. Sato Real Estate jumped out to an early lead on a pair of goals from Daniel Anderson and Will Kretzman and never looked back, taking a 5-0 lead into the half.
The second half was more of the same on the way to a 9-0 blowout and another soccer title for Sato Real Estate.