Sugar takes cake route, wins 11-13 division Super Bowl
Sugar Beach Digital showed it’s worthy of the No. 1 seed in The Center of Anna Maria Island flag football 11-13 division playoffs as SBD rolled to a pair of easy victories, including a 45-14 pasting of Signarama in the March 15 Super Bowl.
As he did all season, Sugar Beach’s Nate Costello dominated the game, rushing for two touchdowns, while also intercepting three passes and taking two of them back for defensive touchdowns.
Jaden Torres added three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, while also scoring an extra point. Noah Costello completed the scoring with a touchdown run.
Other members of Sugar Beach Digital are Gavin Johnston, Joey Mannino, Luke Bisio, Ava Zink and Alyssa Ely.
Quarterback Mack May threw for two touchdowns to lead Signarama in the loss. Trevor Vierra and Timmy Zinna had a touchdown catch each and Devin Calderon completed the scoring with a 2-point conversion.
Sugar Beach advanced to the Super Bowl thanks to a 38-12 victory over Tyler’s Ice Cream in the March 14 semifinal game, while Signarama outlasted Air & Energy 39-36 to advance to the title game in double overtime.
Championship Tuesday also saw the 8-10 and 11-13 all-star games played. The White Team edged the Blue Team 7-6 on a touchdown pass from Anthony Nguyen to Daniel Zoller and a decisive extra point catch from Jack Proctor.
Billy Jackson and Nguyen led White with five flag pulls each, while Zoller added four pulls and Josh Waldo chipped in with an interception in the victory. Other White all stars are Josie Alderson and Alex Ortiz.
Quinton O’Connor scored the lone touchdown for Blue and had a team-high five flag pulls in the loss, while Jackson Kruse had an interception. Other Blue all stars are Julian Lazzara, Ashton Hoyda, Brett Balais, Payton Harlan, Eric McDonald, Aiden Templeton and Zach Stewart.
The 11-13 all-star game also saw Team White defeat Team Blue by a 34-21 score. Quarterback Nate Costello paced White with four touchdown passes to a quartet of receivers, Jackson Hayes, Andrew Zoller, Noah Costello and Colby Petrin.
Alyssa Ely added to the scoring with an interception return for a touchdown to lead the White defense, which also received interceptions by Blake Balais, Zoller and Petrin and a quarterback sack from Cired Cablish.
Sylas Banyas paced the Blue offense with two rushing touchdowns, a 2-point and 1-point conversions. Dalton Guthrie added an interception return for a touchdown, while also leading all players with seven flag pulls and a sack. Other Blue 11-13 all stars are Cole Pearson, Lexi Ludwig, Trevor Vierra, Tommy Zinna and Travis Bates.
Adult flag football news
After eight weeks of regular-season adult flag football action at The Center of Anna Maria Island, the pecking order has been established. Beach House Real Estate is the top dog with a 7-1 record and, for their efforts, they receive a first-round bye for the playoffs, which get started Wednesday, March 23.
Moss Builders matched Beach House’s 7-1 record, but Beach House defeated Moss Builders 20-14 March 9 to earn the advantage.
Moss Builders gained the No. 2 seed and a 7:30 p.m. matchup with Tyler’s Ice Cream, which sits at the bottom of the table. Beach to Bay Construction finished 5-2 and takes on sixth seed Mason Martin at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The final game of the evening will pit 4-4 Coldwell Banker against fifth-seed Truly Nolen at 8 p.m.
The final week of regular-season action saw Moss Builders slide past Beach to Bay Construction by a 19-7 score and Truly Nolen roll to a 31-6 victory over Tyler’s Ice Cream.
Sandwiched between them was the game of the week that saw Beach House Real Estate edge Beach to Bay Construction 21-16. Don Purvis threw for 250 yards and a pair of touchdown passes to lead Beach House, which also received a huge game from Mike Gillum.
Gillum led all receivers with 125 receiving yards, including a touchdown and an extra point. Gillum was huge on the other side of the ball as well, intercepting two passes — one he took to the house for a touchdown.
Jon Moss completed the Beach House scoring with a touchdown reception and an extra point.
Mike Shaughnessy shouldered most of the offense for Beach to Bay, throwing for 200 yards, including two for touchdowns. Daughter Breanna Shaugnessy garnered one of the touchdowns receptions, while Caleb Roberts finished with 85 receiving yards, including a touchdown reception and 2 extra points. Tim Shaugnessy added 95 receiving yards to round out the Beach to Bay offense while Chris Culhane completed the scoring with a safety on defense.
Horseshoe news
Three teams emerged from pool play during March 16 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits.
Sam Samuels and Tom Skoloda drew the bye into the finals and watched as Bob Palmer and Bob Rowley edged Bob Lee and Neil Henneessey 21-18 to advance to the finals. It was all Palmer and Rowley in the finals as they rolled to a 23-5 victory.
March 19 action also saw three teams advance to the knockout stage. Palmer teamed with Hank Huyghe and stunned Rod Bussey and Jay Disbrow with a come-from-behind 22-20 win on a game-ending double ringer by Palmer.
Palmer and Huyghe stayed hot in the finals, rolling to a 21-3 victory over Bob Brown and Keith Erickson to earn the day’s bragging rights.
Play gets underway at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday 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
Thirty-two men competed in the Key Royale Club’s men’s handicap tournament March 15-16, playing 36 holes of golf over two days. Jim Auch prevailed with a 14-under-par 114 to claim the club championship. Chet Hutton finished in second place, while Peter Lund came in third.
The men held their regular Monday morning game March 14, a nine-hole better-ball-of-foursome match. The team of Dan Hayes, Matt Behan, Jim Dunn and Bill Anderson combined on a 10-under-par 22 to take first place. One stroke back and tied for second place was the team of Jim Auch, Chet Hutton, Fred Meyer and Peter Karycki, who matched the 9-under-par carded by Neil Hammer, Barry Martin, Bob Reid and Jim Thorton.
The men were back on the course in the afternoon for a nine-hole, modified-Stableford System match. Bill Koche shot a plus-6 to win the individual title, while Ron Buck and Larry Solberg tied for second at plus-4.
The team of Al Carr, Buck, Dale Hudson and Fred Miller won the team competition with a plus-11.
The women took over the course March 15 for a nine-hole, individual-low-net match in four flights and a side game of low putts.
Helen Pollock fired an 8-under-par 24 to crush the field in Flight A. Judy Christensen finished six strokes back to finish in second place, while Marcia Helgeson took third place with an even-par 32.
Liz Lang carded a 6-under-par 26 to grab first place in Flight B, five strokes ahead of second-place finisher Sue Christenson. Tootie Wagner and Judy Ward tied for third with matching even-par 32s.
Jan Turner and Roxanne Koche both recorded 3-under-par 29s to finish in a tie for first in Flight C. Sharon Tarras and Sara Falk tied for second at even-par 32.
Willa Barkley grabbed first place in Flight D with a 2-under-par 30, five shots clear of Jane Perkins and Kathy Miller, who tied for second place.
Wagner’s 13 putts were the low total for the day, with Pollock and Joyce Lathrop both carding 14 putts.
5K, 10K runs through Robinson
The eighth annual Robinson Preserve Twilight Run will feature 5K and 10K runs and a family-friendly walk.
The run will benefit Feeding Empty Little Tummies of Manatee County and Robinson Preserve. The preserve is owned and operated by Manatee County.
The race will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 25, at Robinson, 1704 99th St. NW, Bradenton.
For more information, call Douglas Schiller at 941-932-6147.