Photo By Cpl. Antwaun Jefferson | M&RA huddles up after a play goes bad during a scrimmage game at butler Stadium here...... read more read more
Subscribe
QUANTICO, Va. - It is almost that time again. Flag football is on the horizon and a couple of teams are not waiting for the season opener in two weeks to get some action. Last year’s champions Manpower and Reserve Affairs sent out a challenge to Headquarters and Services Company for preseason scrimmage game Thursday at Butler stadium. Not being intimidated by M&RA, H&S Co. had no problem stepping up to the challenge.
Even with the rain, the defending champions M&RA were confident going into the scrimmage.
“We won it all last year,” said Joe Randal, the coach for M&RA. “If I had to predict a score right now, it would be 28 – 0.”
The opposing team had a different agenda for facing off against M&RA.
“It’s not about winning,” said Chris Despanie, the coach for H&S Co. “Our goal is to figure out our flaws and get our bodies ready for the season.”
Right from the start M&RA stopped H&S Co. in their tracks and scores a touchdown in their first possession.
“We have a great defense,” Randal said. “We have a new team this year. If our offence can step up we are going to win this season, too.”
After their first touchdown, M&RA scored yet another touchdown with a pass by Tyrone Sharpe, backup quarterback for the M&RA in their second best possession.
M&RA didn’t end there though. After the change of possession, M&RA sacked the QB and got a safety.
“We have to play hard,” said Myron Edwards, last year’s coach for the M&RA. “Even though it’s just a scrimmage, we’re not really worried about playing tough that’s how just how we play.”
Score being 14-0, it seemed that M&RA was on the right. They were playing like it was the championship game, with all the confidence in the world, maybe too confident.
An hour into the game, M&RA made their first mistake. M&RA threw an intercept caught by Issaac James and M&RA runs it right into the end zone for a touchdown.
From that point on, it was the battle of the defenses on the field. Neither side seemed to be able to score or even get down the field.
Late in the game, H&S Co. needed to score a touchdown and two extra points to stay in the game. With a beautiful run, more than 50 yards H&S Co. scored a touchdown.
With little time remaining in the game, H&S Co. decided to go for the extra points to try to tie the game. The quarterback lobs the ball into the end zone and it was smacked away by M&RA defense.
With that play the game was left with the score M&RA 14 to H&S’s 12.
“Well the ball was wet,” Despanie said. We missed a couple of passes that could have been caught. But did what we came to do, which was figure out our flaws. Plus we had fun in the process.”
It was a battle out there until the very end. The champs were almost defeated by an underdog and it was only a scrimmage.
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2012 09:40 |
| Story ID: | 98015 |
| Location: | QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Flags or no flags this is football, by Cpl Antwaun Jefferson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
