Signarama lights up the scoreboard

After eight regular seasons games played under the beaming Florida sun, the 2017 youth flag football season quickly approached its end this past Saturday with three age groups showing strength at the top of each division.

The eight- to 10-year-old division closed out with Truly Nolen at the top of the heap. The wealth of talent in this division, the future of the Island youth sports, was evident with the three teams that were hot on the heels of Truly Nolen all season. Bark & Company Realty, Beach to Bay and Salty Printing followed in the ranks by the end of the season, each with five wins.

Team Miller Electric dominated the 11- to 13-year-old age group with seven wins and no losses going into its last regular season game this Saturday. Planet Stone and Progressive Cabinetry come in ranked #2 and #3 with more wins than losses for each team.

The teenagers of the league finished their regular season with fun and competition among friends, with Intechgrate Systems taking the league lead mid-season, finishing with a 6-1-1 record. The two teams in the middle, Air & Energy and Signarama, battled back and forth during the season finishing the regular season last with a last second win by Signarama.

Coming off a make up game on Wednesday night, Air & Energy matched up against Signarama with a different outcome. As the losing team just days before, the players of Signarama had nothing to lose and everything to win in Saturday's game.

Team Air & Energy started the game on offense with three quick snaps of the football. Cooper Hardy, for Signarama, started the team's defensive pressure with a sack on quarterback Rutger Langley, giving the ball to Signarama for its first offensive series.

In six plays, including a 20 yard run and first down reception by David Daigle, Team Signarama took the football into the end zone for the first score of the game. In the offensive run, quarterback Tuna McCracken moved the ball well down the field, including his own rushing yardage and the touchdown pass to Tyler Brewer.

With the score six to zero, McCracken read the offensive play by Air & Energy and intercepted Langley's pass with no intended receiver in site. After the pick, McCracken mixed it up with a short pass to Brewer, a goal line pass to Hardy just short of the end zone and a perfectly timed short toss to Connor Ludwig, who could not cross the line to score.

Back on defense, Signarama's McCracken repeated his moves in the safety position with another interception for a Pick 6, advancing the score to 12-0.

Looking to make a come back, team Air & Energy's MVP Corey Jacques dropped the ball after a short reception under pressure by German Rivera. Morgan Horesh was Langley's next target with a 10-yard catch and immediate flag pull by Ludwig. Uncharacteristic for Jacques, a dropped pass on third down gave the possession back to Signarama.

Turning up the defense, Air & Energy only gave Signarama three snaps of the football before taking over on offense. The 10-yard gain by Hardy quickly came to an end by Langley with a follow-up play to Hardy for seven yards. Jacques' strong defensive coverage gave Team Signarama no place to go but the other end of the field to play defense.

The rush by Chelsea Brashear forced the quick dump to Silas Banyas, gaining seven yards before the Ludwig flag pull. Jacques found his hands with a 10-yard catch before the stop by McCracken. On third down, Langley hit Jacques with one man to beat, but his flags slipped out of the hands of McCracken, allowing the touchdown.

As the first half clock ticked and the score was 13-7, the pressure began to mount on Signarama and the offensive mistakes showed it. Two dropped passes and a sack by Roman Langley gave the scoring opportunity back to Team Air & Energy.

The pass from Rutger Langley to younger brother Roman Langley gained a nice 20 yards, putting the football close to the mid-field first down line. With the second pass of the drive bouncing hard off the hands of Horesh, the quarterback for Air & Energy had to make the play happen. With strong defense by Signarama, the pass to intended receiver Horesh was batted down by Brewer to end the offensive run.

Leaving 10 seconds on the game clock, McCracken's incomplete passes, including a dropped pass by Rivera, ended the first half of play.

The last 20 minutes of the game started with Signarama with the ball and ending with a touchdown. Jacques stopped the run by Brewer after gaining 10 yards. On second down, McCracken launched a beautiful long pass to Ludwig, who was stopped on the Air & Energy seven-yard line.

Daigle took the first down snap and quickly pitched it back to McCracken. McCracken ran the football five yards just short of the end zone. The quick out to Ludwig put six more points on the scoreboard for Signarama, moving the score to 19-7.

With plenty of time on the game clock, Air & Energy snapped the ball five times without coming up with points, despite first down plays by Jacques and penalties against the defense. A catch by Horesh was just short of the goal line and botched offensive plays gave the ball back to Signarama.

Three and out for Signarama on offense ignited Team Air & Energy. With two plays, Air & Energy brought the game within five points. The first down catch by Jacques lead to the touchdown run by Banyas. The entire Signarama defense missed flag pulls to stop the score.

Feeling desperation and the lead slipping through its fingers, Team Signarama could not capitalize on its next offensive possession. Despite a 15-yard catch by Ludwig, first down run by McCracken, and automatic first down penalty called on the defense, Signarama came up short.

Back on offense, Air & Energy captured the lead for the first time in the game, leaving 32 seconds left on the clock. The long pass to Jacques, putting him in the end zone, took the score to 19-20.

With both time outs and little time, the composure of the Team Signarama's quarterback showed. The first down catch by Ludwig and timeout call set up the first down run, stopping the clock momentarily. The scoreboard showed time for one last play leaving it up to the arm of McCracken, the hands of his teammates and a little luck.

As the last second ticked off the clock, the football was launched. Falling into a crowd of players, shirts of blue and white jumped up in unison to catch the football in the end zone. Only one ending would change the outcome of the game. Signarama had to come down with the football.

Ending up on his back with ball in his hands, Brewer made the game winning catch for Team Signarama with the final score 25-20, setting the stage for the semi-final match ups. These two teams meet again on Saturday in the playoffs. One team will face off against the winner of the battle between Intechgrate Systems and Duncan Real Estate in the championship game scheduled for Monday, March 13, at 8 p.m.

Sun Scoreboard

Tuesday, Feb. 28

Adult Co-Ed Volleyball

#3 Intechgrate Systems 2
#4 Beach to Bay 1
(Game 1: 14-25, Game 2: 25-10, Game 3: 15-13 )

#1 Air & Energy 2
#2 Anna Maria CrossFit 0
(Game 1: 25-16, Game 2: 25-15)

Thursday, March 2

Adult Co-Ed Flag Football

Moss Builders 14
Smoothie King 6

Beach House Real Estate 21
Beach to Bay 20

Tyler's Ice Cream 27
Progressive Cabinetry 0

Saturday, March 4

Youth Flag Football: 8- to 10-Year-Old League

Truly Nolen Win 22
Lancaster Designs 0

Salty Printing 33
Lancaster Designs 12

Beach to Bay 26
Bark & Co. 6

Cloud Pest Control W (forfeit)
Slim's Place

Youth Flag Football: 11- to 13-Year-Old League

Miller Electric 41
Anna Maria Oyster Bar 7

Progressive Cabinetry 20
Tyler's Ice Cream 12

Youth Flag Football: 14- to 17-Year-Old League

Sign-A-Rama 25
Air & Energy 20

Duncan Real Estate 20
Intechgrate Systems 46