The football countdown on AMI has begun.
With only a week remaining in the regular season of the adult flag football league at the Center of Anna Maria Island, Fishing With Salty and Floridian Mortgage are locked in a battle for No. 1 with matching 5-1 records.
Salty Printing holds down third place with a 4-2 record, just ahead of fourth-place Solid Rock Electrical at 3-3. Moss Builders, Prosper Bradenton and Solid Rock Air Conditioning follow with matching 2-4 records, while Slim’s Place is alone in last place at 1-5.
The first game Aug. 8 wasn’t a game, as Prosper Bradenton couldn’t field a team, giving Fishing With Salty a victory by forfeit.
Salty Printing then held on for a 27-26 victory over Solid Rock Air Conditioning behind three touchdown passes and five receptions from Tuna McCracken. Christian Hampton led all receivers with three touchdowns and a 2-point conversion on five receptions, while Matt Manger added a touchdown pass. Blake Balais completed the scoring for Salty
Printing with a touchdown catch and an extra point.
Angelie Collazo helped Solid Rock Air Conditioning with a TD reception and an interception return for a touchdown on defense. Dominick Otteni and Zaon Williams each threw a touchdown pass and Karri Stephens added a TD reception for Solid Rock Air Conditioning in the loss.
The third scheduled game of the evening saw Floridian Mortgage cruise to a 34-6 victory over Slim’s Place behind five TD passes from Chase Richardson, increasing his league-leading total to 26. Tim Holly and Rex Kesten each finished with two TD receptions, while Zach Wyrick added a TD in the victory.
Cruz Rodriguez threw a TD pass to Jaden Grant for Slim’s Place, which also received six catches each from Anthony Mannino and Roman Perez in the loss.
Finally, Ryan Moss threw six TD passes, including four to Greg Moss to lead Moss Builders to a 37-14 victory over Solid Rock Electrical. Shawn Balvin and James Roadman both added TD catches, while Zachary Blakeney completed the scoring with an extra-point catch in the victory.
Jonathan Moss threw a TD pass to Luke Johnson and Zachary Long had an interception return for a touchdown to go along with a 2-point conversion in the Moss win.
Time for soccer
The center soon will transition to fall soccer.
There’s still time to sign up, with youth league registration closing Aug. 16, and player evaluations and the team drafts as follows:
• Ages 11-14, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19;
• Ages 8-10, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20;
There will be no evaluations for 3-4 or 5-7 age divisions.
Play will begin Sept. 16, with matches played Mondays and Tuesdays.
The youth registration fee is $20 for members and $150 for nonmembers.
The center also is taking registration for its adult league, with matches set to begin Thursday, Sept. 19.
The deadline to register for adult soccer is 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28, which also is when evaluations and drafts will take place.
Matches will be played Thursdays.
Registration costs $20 for members and $130 for nonmembers.
To register, visit the center at 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria, call 941-778-1908 or go online to centerami.org.
To volunteer as a sports coach or sponsor a team at the center, contact Tuna McCracken, sports program manager, at 941-778-1908, ext. 207, or sports@centerami.org.
Key Royale news
Most of the regularly scheduled golf action at Key Royale Club in Holmes Beach were washed out by Tropical Storm Debby.
But the maintenance crew got the course cleaned up for members to play a scramble Aug. 8 that saw the team of Debbie and Dave Richardson, Terry Schaefer and Bill Shuman combine on a 4-under-par 28 to earn clubhouse bragging rights for the week.
And, thank you to the greens crew.
Horseshoe news
Two teams advanced from pool play with 3-0 records and settled things in a playoff during Aug. 7 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall pits.
The team of Tom Farrington and Gersey Fernandes cruised to a 23-4 victory over Dom Livedoti and Steve Doyle and took a trip to the winner’s circle.
Action Aug. 10 saw two teams advance to the knockout stage. In this competition, the team of Bob Heiger and Tim Sofran held on for a 22-13 victory over Farrington and Jamie Thomas to earn the day’s bragging rights.
The action gets started at 9 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Anna Maria pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m., followed by random team selection.