Last Sunday, the Stowe Area Flag Football League hosted its Division 1 and Division 2 Super Bowls and consolation games.
The games were well played, but in the end, the undefeated teams emerged as the victors. Congratulations to the Packers and Chiefs.
Division 1, grades 3-5
Super Bowl: Packers 26, Lions 12
The Packers ran the table, undefeated for the season.
Both teams played well on a snow-covered field in the Super Bowl.
For the Packers, Kason Lang had a one-handed interception and return for a touchdown that stopped a strong Lion drive. Adler Nedich, Jack Peterson and Jaxson Ruane were strong on the defensive side. Cam Bradley, Hayden McDonald and Cody Ross kept the run game strong.
Ashton Bradley played great at center and Will Whipkey continued his strong play on offense and special teams. Henry King scored the game’s final points with a great catch for a 2-point conversion.
The Lions began the season with two straight losses, but turned things around by coming together as a team and keeping a positive attitude. This teamwork paid off with a trip to the Super Bowl.
The game was tied 12-12 at halftime, thanks to a kickoff return for a touchdown by the Lions’ Maximus DeRuzza and a nice bootleg run by quarterback Nick Casey. The stingy defense, led by Will Andrus, David McLaughlin, Rueben Berlin, Jordan Zimmerman and Dylan Roncarati, held the Packers in check during the first half.
The Lions had some strong drives in the second half with runs Will Andrus, McLaughlin and DeRuzza, but could not punch it into the end zone.
The Lions had a successful season and coaches could not be more proud of the way their team played together.
The teams celebrated with the rest of the league’s competitors over pizza and hot chocolate to end the season. Many thanks to all the coaches, officials, and parents that made this season great for the kids.
Consolation game: Ravens 32, Browns 20
On a brisk and soggy afternoon, the Ravens, who were still searching for their first win, entered the consolation game against a tough Browns team.
The weather forced the Ravens to switch from their wing-T offense to the Wildcat, and they rotated runners throughout the game. Defensively, the kids did a great job juggling hand-warmers as they made several key flag grabs throughout the game.
The Ravens were able to pull out a 32-20 victory. After stopping the Browns first possession just shy of the goal line, the Ravens scored on their first play from scrimmage, with Payten Pecor using her speed to turn the corner and blast down the length of the field.
The Ravens scored on their next possession, too, with Ben Clapp carving through the Browns’ defense to edge across the goal line. Fin Kilby split two Browns’ defenders as he scored the conversion point.
Capping the first-half scoring, Kelly Apple took the center snap to the right and dodged several defenders as he scored on another long run.
In the second half, the Ravens scoring continued, with Grady Schleupner sneaking around the corner and stretching his long body across the goal line. The final score came on another long run from Payten Pecor.
Division 2, grades 6-8
Super Bowl: Chiefs 19, Redskins 12
The division 2 Super Bowl matched the two regular-season heavyweights in an all-or-nothing game.
The Chiefs were able to complete their undefeated season with a 19-12 win over a great Redskins squad.
After taking the opening kickoff, the Redskins moved the ball to midfield before the defense forced a turnover on downs. The Chiefs played tough defense all day, with Sam Stutz and David Gosselin hounding the Redskins quarterback, each with two sacks.
The Chiefs’ offense got the ball rolling early. Quarterback Emerson Smith connected with Noah Lynch for a 15-yard gain and two plays later threw another 15-yard strike to Carson Matckie before breaking free for the game’s first touchdown.
The Redskins answered back and scored on a sneak by the quarterback, Cooper Olney, to even the contest. Neither team scored again in the first half as both defenses answered the call. The Redskins defense played tough, as Luca DeRuzza kept the Chiefs out of the end zone with a great interception. The Chiefs’ tough defense was anchored by defensive ends Quinn Dias-Derry and Jake Clarkin.
In the second half, the Redskins’ Carter MacDonald intercepted a pass in the first series, setting up a six-play scoring drive capped by running back Parker Davey.
Chiefs’ signal caller Emerson Smith needed just one play to tie — a 60-yard bomb to Carson Matckie. They teamed up again on the extra point to put the Chiefs up 13-12.
The Chiefs used the rest of the third quarter to spread the ball around. Key receptions by Drew Zimmerman and Sam Clarkin kept the Redskins offense off the field. As time ran down in the fourth quarter, the Redskins were driving until Smith intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown, making the score 19-12.
Quinn Lynch and Zander Waskuch each had defensive stops for the Chiefs, who forced the Redskins to turn the ball over on downs, ending the tense and hard fought contest.
•••
Several players were honored with the Coach’s Award, given to the individuals who demonstrated both sportsmanship and hustle on a consistent basis. This year’s recipients are Rex Wise, David Gosselin, David McLaughlin, Kason Lang, Emmit Lisai, Kelly Apple, Luca DeRuzza, Braeden Martens, Cooper Provencher and Grace Casey.
The Stowe Area Flag Football League thanks the 30 coaches, referees and administrators who volunteered to make the 2018 season successful, and thanks its sponsors, The Bistro at Ten Acres, Brook Field Service, Brothers Building, Inntopia, Lamoille Valley Ford, Piecasso, Shaw’s Grocery and Stoweflake. Their support enables the league to provide a high-quality program.
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