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The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 12 No. 18 - February 15, 2012

sports

Undefeated Colts corral Broncos

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

Scott dell | submitted
Quarterback Andrew Ross drops back to pass for
the Ross Built Construction Broncos.

The Sun Sports game of the week was between the football slinging East Division 6-0 Mr. Bones Colts and the wild West Division 5-1 Ross Built Construction Broncos. This 10-12 year old flag football game was as exciting as an old Wild West movie.

The Mr. Bones Colts won the toss and stormed out with their offense a blazin'. On their first drive quarterback Rory Houston threw a nine yard TD pass to Ben Connors. The extra-point was good on a Houston to Zachariah Goode pass, 7-0.

The Ross Built Construction Broncos stormed down the field on multiple Jake Ross runs, but missed a golden opportunity to score when a third and goal pass from the seven-yard line was broken up in the end zone by Colts defender Ben Connors.

The Broncos defense did one better and stopped the Colts from scoring when Jake Ross intercepted a Colts pass in the end zone and returned it to mid-field. Two plays later, Hannah McCracken took a handoff up the middle and sprinted to pay-dirt for the Broncos TD. The extra-point was no good, 7-6 Colts.

With four minutes left in the half, Rory Houston intercepted a pass in the end zone for the Colts. On the very next play, Houston found his favorite target Connors for a 45-yard touchdown bomb. The extra point was no good and left the halftime score 13-6 Colts.

The Colts defense corralled the Broncos offense in the second half. On the first play Colts defender Rory Houston intercepted a pass and returned it for the touchdown. The extra-point was no good, 19-6. Colts defenders Ben Connors finished with seven flag pulls and Zachariah Goode had four pulls.

The Broncos defense also played great and shut the high powered Colts offense down for the majority of the second half and gave their team a chance to win. Big interceptions by Andrew and Jake Ross, a timely sack by Hannah McCracken and four flag pulls by Javan Vasquez kept the Broncos in the game.

With less than 10 minutes to play, quarterback Andrew Ross threw a 24-yard strike to brother Jake for the touchdown. Jake Ross ran in the two-point conversion, 19-14 and Broncos were within one score.

The suspense mounted and the crowd was ready for the showdown finish. The Broncos needed one more score to take the lead. They marched down the field, but with less than three minutes left in the game, the Broncos needed a big first down to continue the drive, but the Colts defense held strong.

With 17 seconds left, the Colts put the last nail in the coffin when Ben Connors made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone for a touchdown. The extra-point was no good, 25-14. The Broncos never say die attitude kept going though. They tried twice to throw long bomb passes. The second of which was intercepted by Houston and he returned it 30 yards for the end of the game TD. The final score was 31-14 and the Mr. Bones Colts remain undefeated.

Division III (8-9-year-olds) Results:

Gettel Toyota Texans 18
Waterfront Restaurant Raiders 25

Pink & Navy Boutique Cowboys 14
Southern Greens Jets 32

Beach Bums Steelers 6
Waterfront Restaurant Raiders 24

Division II (10-12-year-olds) Results:

Cedars Tennis Resort Seahawks 14
Ross Built Construction Broncos 37

Air & Energy Chargers 20
Mr. Bones Colts 46

Sandbar Restaurant Falcons 22
Sand Dollar Steelers 27

Eat Here Bears 21
LPAC Cardinals 38

Cedars Tennis Resort Seahawks 0
LPAC Cardinals 38

Air & Energy Chargers 13
Sand Dollar Steelers 48

Ross Built Construction Broncos 14
Mr. Bones Colts 31

Division I (13-16 year-olds) Results:

Walter & Associates Bears 19
Jessie's Island Store Steelers 24

First American Bank Ravens  0
Integrity Sound Redskins 35

Galati Yacht Sales Texans 27
Walter & Associates Bears 35

Adult Co-Ed Flag Football League Results:

The Feast Falcons 20
Beach to Bay Construction Texans 23

Banana Cabana Bengals 20
Edgewater Real Estate Broncos 38

Galati Yacht Sales Chargers 6
Coastal Orthopedic Raiders 24

Agnelli Pool & Spa Packers 25
Duffy's Tavern Ravens 45

Waterfront Restaurant Bills 27
Slim's Place Dolphins 28

Sato Real Estate Browns 20
Florida Discount Signs 49ers 32

Fin's Bar Bears 24
Tyler's Ice Cream Vikings 40

Adult Co-Ed Volleyball League Results:

Best Buy 21
Slim's Place 25
(First game of best 2 out of 3)

Best Buy 25
Slim's Place 23
(Second game of best 2 out of 3

Best Buy 14
Slim's Place 25
(Third game of best 2 out of 3)

Slim's Place 25
Tyler's Ice Cream 11
(First game of best 2 out of 3)

Slim's Place 19
Tyler's Ice Cream 25
(Second game of best 2 out of 3)

Slim's Place 25
Tyler's Ice Cream 19
(Third game of best 2 out of 3)

To view all the adult leagues individual player stats and team standings go to the Community Center's new sports page at hometeamsonline.com/amicc.

 

Running with kids is rewarding

Because I've been so busy writing and doing speaking gigs on book tours arranged by my very cool publisher, my running has taken a back seat this year. In fact, it's beyond being in the tank. It's in the trunk. I've lost a minute or two off my fastest times of 27 minutes.

Knowing that was about to happen, I tried to make 2010 my best running year. I defined that by the number of races I did, whether I placed and how fast I ran. By those standards, it was my best year. I got a personal record (the fastest ever for me) in almost every race I did. I squeezed in my first marathon (26.2 miles), knowing that life was about to get crazy busy as my book got published. More importantly, I made sure to keep my volunteer job helping as an assistant coach for the girls cross country team at Manatee High.

Much of my desire to race is just to be out there showing kids that you don't have to think that getting disabled and diseased once you pass 50 is an eventuality. And, of course, in the face of my own experience with my family (mom, aunt and both sisters had breast cancer, for starters), I hope to prove that a plant-based diet really can easily help you beat the odds and enjoy the golden years.

Working with kids is its own reward. At the St. Stephen's 5K in Bradenton, Bayshore High School's Canaan Kitterman took the overall first place title as he often does. He always asks everyone, how are you doing, how'd your race go? One of the most polite kids I have ever met. And hardworking…you can see it in training too. When I win the lottery, he gets a college scholarship.

Another candidate for my imaginary winnings is Manatee High's senior Riley Paige Dunn. I wrote about her last year as we did the Sarasota half marathon as a relay team. She asked me again this year. It's her senior year, and I really wanted to do it. I was honored that she even asked. But I had already committed to my publisher for doing a book signing at the largest health food store vender expo in Los Angeles the same weekend. Broke my heart. Riley will run the Sarasota half with her dad or her boyfriend. She'll do great.

The silver lining is that the Los Angeles trip will also give me a chance to see my youngest daughter, who is on the University of Southern California track team. Hmmm … maybe that whole role model thing does pay off? When she decided this year that communications was to be her major, I immediately asked, "Totally your choice, right?" To which she immediately responded, "Have you ever known me not to make up my own mind about anything?" The apple isn't falling far from this tree.

At the St. Stephen's race, post-race we congregated with our age group. I've written before about "The Sarasota Girls" who routinely beat me when they show up. But it's all in fun, and we huddle together sharing our current aches and pains. We joke that we sound like the typical 50+ groups complaining about ailments within 60 seconds of beginning a conversation.

Finally, Sher Bedford goes, "C'mon, you do know that most women our age are still sleeping right now?" We all take a break from the groupthink searching for cheap cures for bunions, plantar faciitis, and bone bruises (from tripping during races). Someone pipes up, "And these are all preventable!" We laugh and go back at it.

Josephine Nicolosi, another SRQ girl is wearing a bib, but her heel pain was so bad she never started. She has won senior grand master awards for years. We give her words of encouragement.

Sher and I will both jump to the next age group next year, 60-64. While I am really looking forward to it, sometimes I think that maybe we only have so many runs left in us. It is such a balancing act to listen to your body and back off. My goal has always been the same as the appropriately titled Jeff Galloway book, "Run Until You're 100." A work in progress for us all.

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.


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