The adult flag football league at the Center of Anna Maria Island finally came to a close after a rain delay with semifinal and final round games played Sept. 12.
No. 2 seed Fishing With Salty held off No. 3 Salty Printing 21-20 to open the action for the night. Miguel Rodriguez played a big role in the victory, finishing with one touchdown pass and two touchdown receptions to go along with a 2-point conversion.
Jonathan Soultatos and Matthew Briley also threw for TDs while Dina DeJesus added a TD catch, an extra point and an interception on defense in the victory.
Tuna McCracken threw for a pair of TDs and Christian Hampton finished with three touchdown grabs. Matt Manger threw a touchdown pass and Blake Balais completed the scoring with a pair of extra points in the loss.
The second semifinal game saw top-seeded Floridian Mortgage outscore No. 5 seed Moss Builders 52-33 behind eight TD passes from quarterback Chase Richardson. His favorite target was Rex Kesten, who finished with seven catches including four that went for TDs. Tim Holly added two TD grabs and two extra points, while Tyler Brewer and Zach Wyrick each finished with a touchdown in the victory.
Ryan Moss paced Moss Builders with five TD passes, including two each to Shawn Balvin and Peggy Smith. Greg Moss added a TD catch and an extra point for Moss Builders in the loss.
The championship game pitted the top two teams — No. 1 Floridian Mortgage and No. 2 Fishing With Salty — and the final score reflected that two-seed matchup.
Floridian Mortgage jumped out to a 23-7 halftime lead. They ultimately held on for a 29-27 victory with the final margin of victory decided by a sack at the end of the first half by Tim Holly, resulting in a 2-point safety. Fishing With Salty battled back to make the game close but fell short.
Holly also had a big day on offense, finishing with six catches, including two for TDs and an extra point. Chase Richardson threw four TD passes, including one each to Tyler Brewer, who had a game-high nine catches, and one to Rex Kesten. Cory Banks completed the scoring with a pair of extra points in the victory.
Miguel Rodriguez and Matthew Briley each threw two TD passes and Jonathan Soultatos had two TDs among his six catches while also adding an extra point. Dylan Doyle had a TD catch and an extra point among his four receptions and Octavious Cole also had a TD catch. Anthony McCance completed the scoring in the loss with an extra point and six catches.
Fall recreational soccer on tap
The fall recreational soccer season at the community center was set to start Spirit Week with matches Sept. 16, after The Islander’s press time, for the 3-4 and 5-7 instructional divisions, while the 8-10 and 11-14 age divisions were to kick off their seasons Sept. 17.
The teams were to play mini-games in a jamboree format and both teams and fans would show off their spirit to kick off the season.
Fans and players were encouraged to dress in team colors and to accessorize their looks — color their hair, paint their faces, go wild.
The season looks to be competitive, with the 11-14 age division boasting five teams and the 8-10 division with six teams. Add in the four teams in the 5-7 age division and two teams in the 3-4 age division and you’ve got a lot of kids playing soccer on the island this fall.
Stay tuned to The Islander for scores, highlights and team standings.
Key Royale golf news
There was a full week of golf action at the Key Royale Club in Holmes Beach last week, starting with the men’s weekly modified-Stableford system match Sept. 9. Nelson Eage won the day’s proceedings with a plus-4, a point ahead of Ken Nagengast and Tom Nelson.
The women played their weekly nine-hole individual-low-net golf match Sept. 10. Margrit Layh fired an even-par 32 to earn clubhouse bragging rights for the day, finishing two shots clear of Jana Samuels and Sue Wheeler, who both finished at 2-over-par 34.
The week ended Sept. 12 with members playing a nine-hole scramble. The team of Rod Hammonds, Dale Miller, Earl Ritchie and Ron Vandeman combined on a 1-under-par 31 to take first place for the day.
Horseshoe news
Horseshoe action Sept. 11 at Anna Maria City Hall pits saw two teams advance to the knockout stage. The team of Neil Hennessey and Norm Good cruised to a 22-5 victory over Jay Disbrow and Tom Farrington to win the day’s bragging rights.
The Sept. 14 games saw Tim Sofran and Farrington team up to forge the lone 3-0 record in pool play and claim the day’s outright champs.
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.
There is no charge to play.