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Flag football rematch doesn't repeat history

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  • By Sam Miller
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  It was déjà vu for the 2010 intramural flag football championship -- the 81st Medical Support Squadron's A-team facing the 334th Training Squadron again, just like the 2009 title game.

But Oct. 21, the outcome was very different, with the Gators escaping with a 20-15 win and the intramural crown.

"This was my first year with the team, and I came in knowing we had lost the championship game last year," said Gators head coach Trae Clark. "We had one goal from the beginning of the season and that was to finish strong."

The 334th TRS, 6-4 in the regular season, definitely wasn't considered the team to beat for this year's title.

The 81st Security Forces Squadron, 10-0, dominated the American League during the regular season, also ranking ahead of the 338th TRS-A (8-2) and the Marine Corps Detachment (6-4).

But the gutsy Gators upset the 81st SFS, 32-15, and demolished MARDET, 41-12, to earn the right to represent the American League for the base championship.

The 81st MDSS-A had finished the regular season 9-1, behind the undefeated 81st Medical Group (10-0), but perhaps the memories of the 2009 championship spurred them on to win the National League spot in the title game.

The title game showed favor to both defenses. The Gators put the first points on the board by completing a 30-yard pass and a 1-yard quarterback touchdown run to give them a 6-0 lead after a failed point-after try.

The next possession for the 81st MDSS-A was stalled when an interception was thrown, giving the Gators first and goal. The Gators failed to capitalize on the interception when they turned the ball over for a 40-yard defensive gain that gave the 81st MDSS-A a first-and goal on the 10-yard line.

The 81st MDSS-A threw another interception in the red zone that was run back 35 yards. Three downs later, the Gators scored a touchdown and converted a 2-point try to take a 14-0 lead with 2:01 remaining in the first half of play.

The 81MDSS-A threw yet another interception before the half, but it didn't result in any points for the Gators. With about a minute left in the half, the 81st MDSS-A was able to score off a miscue by the Gators quarterback that resulted in a 2-point safety. The score was 14-2 at halftime.

After the 81st MDSS-A received the second half kickoff, both teams initial drives were stalled. The 81MDSS-A was finally able to put a touchdown on the scoreboard with its second possession of the second half, an 8-yard pass for a touchdown which put the score at 14-8.

A 334th TRS interception shifted the momentum in favor of the 81st MDSS-A after they converted the turnover into a 35-yard touchdown pass to give them a 15- 14 lead with 2:00 minutes remaining in the game.

On the Gators' very next possession, they scored a touchdown via a 6-yard pass to take a 20-15 lead after a failed PAT.

With 1:06 left in the game, the 81MDSS-A drove the ball to the Gators' 20-yard line and the team looked poised to win the game with under a minute left. However, the 81st MDSS-A couldn't score a touchdown with three tries. With fourth-and-goal with six seconds remaining, last year's base champions threw another interception to end the game.
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