Fantastic first finale for football

The Sun sports game of the week was the first scheduled game of the year for the Anna Maria Island Community Center’s 2013 flag football season. The game featured the adult co-ed Beach to Bay Construction Ravens versus the Lobstahs Lions.

The Lobstahs Lions won the toss and started with the ball on offense. After picking up a quick first down, quarterback Matt Piermarini was faced with a second down and 21 yards. He then found receiver Wayne Wyckoff in the endzone for the first TD of the season. The extra-point was no good, 6-0.

The Beach to Bay Construction Ravens marched right back down the field. On a critical third down and goal from the 10 yard line, the pass was incomplete, but a Lions penalty revitalized the Ravens and gave them first and goal from the five-yard line. Quarterback Larry Berkery wasted little time, and on first down found receiver Shawn Kaleta on a crossing pattern to the left for the TD. The extra-point was no good, 6-6.

After initial opening scoring drives by both teams, the defenses started to settle in. Neither team scored until the Lions broke the Ravens defense on a 32-yard Piermarini post pattern bomb to Eric Gledhill with less than three minutes left in the half. The extra-point was no good when Don Purvis sacked the quarterback, 12-6.

The Ravens went three and out in large part due to a big blocked pass from Lars Markel for the Lions on third down. The Lions got the ball back with 58 seconds left in the half. They picked up a key first down with 43 seconds left in the half. On third and goal from the 12-yard line, Piermarini threw a jump ball pass in the back of the endzone to Gledhill for the TD. The extra-point was no good, 18-6 at the half.

The Ravens started with the ball in the second half and capitalized. They marched down the field and finished the drive with a Berkery to Kaleta five-yard catch and run for the TD. The extra-point was again no good, 18-12.

On the Lions next possession, Ravens defensive safety Booby Gibbons intercepted a pass and returned it to mid-field. On first down, Purvis caught a ball for 18 yards. On second down, quarterback Berkery called a running play for himself and scampered 10 yards for the TD. The extra-point was good when Berkery found Gibbons in the back of the endzone for the score, and for the first time, the Ravens took the lead 19-18.

The Lions methodically worked the ball down field and worked the clock down to five minutes before scoring. Piermarini threw an eleven-yard corner hook pass to Gledhill for the TD. The Lions two-point conversion pass was exactly the same play to Gledhill and gave them the lead back 26-19.

The Ravens got the ball back with three minutes left in the game. They converted a first down on a huge 17-yard third down Berkery pass to a diving Gibbons. With second and goal from the 14-yard line and only 25 seconds left in the game, the Ravens called timeout. The next play Berkery found Kaleta again for his third touchdown catch of the game. The Ravens were now down one point with 19 seconds left, and they decided to go for the one point conversion tie. Berkery passed to his favorite target Kaleta and converted the extra-point for the 26-26 tie.

With only 19 seconds left and everyone thinking the first game of the season was going into overtime, the Lions had different plans. Piermarini threw a quick sideline out pass to give them a little breathing room. On second down, he threw a 32-yard bomb to Gledhill who caught it in the end zone for the winning touchdown with only six seconds left in the game. It was a fantastic finish to the first game of the year and gave the Lobstahs Lions their first victory 32-26.

Adult co-ed league Results:

Florida Discount Signs Colts  43
Waterfront Restaurant Dolphins  33
Quarterback Greg Ross threw for 43 yards and 4 TDs. Brandon Hartwig rushed for 124 yards and one TD and also had two interception returns for TDs. Dustin Swain rushed for 52 yards and had 50 receiving yards for 3 TDs and an extra-point in the Colts win. Quarterback Ryan Moss threw for 179 yards and 5 TDs. Jonathan Moss had 81 yards receiving and 2 TDs. Amy Moss had 49 yards receiving and 2 TDs. Brent Moss had 28 yards receiving and one TD and two extra-points for the Dolphins team.

Duffy’s Tavern Raiders  41
Agnelli Pools & Spa Giants  38
Quarterback Chris Gillum threw for 268 yards and 5 TDs. Mike Gillum had 108 yards receiving and 2 TDs and an extra-point. Tyler Redman had 75 yards receiving and 2 TDs and 2 extra-points. Jay Hoffmeister had 64 yards receiving and one TD and 2 extra-points. Eddie Hernandez had one interception return for a TD in the Raiders win. Quarterback Tim Shaughnessy threw for 165 yards and 3 TDs and also rushed for 117 yards and 2 TDs. Pat Calvery had 89 yards receiving and one TD and one extra-point. Frank Agnelli had 50 yards receiving and one TD and an extra-point. Caleb Roberts had 26 yards receiving and one TD and also had an interception return for a TD for the Giants.

Duncan Real Estate Cardinals  31
Slim’s Place Patriots  14
Quarterback Jason Vancleave threw for 185 yards and 3 TDs and also had 45 yards receiving and one TD. Dylan Kraut had 120 yards receiving and a TD and an extra-point and he also threw for 45 yards and one TD. Ben Pieper had 25 yards rushing and a TD and also had 20 yards receiving and a TD. Chris Wilson had 45 yards receiving and one TD in the Cardinals win. Mike Smith threw for 55 yards passing and a TD and had 25 yards receiving and a TD. Dave Johnston threw for 40 yards and a TD and also had 40 yards receiving and a TD. Teagan Purtill had 25 receiving yards and caught an extra-point for the Patriots.

Adult co-ed Flag Football schedule:

Jan. 9, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Beach to Bay Construction Ravens vs. BY Construction Bears
Jan. 9, Wednesday, 8 p.m., Slim’s Place Patriots vs. Florida Discount Signs Colts
Jan. 9, Wednesday, 9 p.m., Waterfront restaurant Dolphins vs. Harrington House Bucs
Jan. 10, Thursday, 6 p.m., Southern Greens Seahawks vs. Duncan Real Estate Cardinals
Jan. 10, Thursday, 7 p.m., Lobstahs Lions vs. Duffy’s Tavern Raiders
Jan. 10, Thursday, 8 p.m., Agnelli Pools & Spa Giants vs. Sato Real Estate Browns
Jan. 10, Thursday, 9 p.m., Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings vs. The Island Sun Bills
14-17-year-olds flag football schedule:
Jan. 14, Monday, 8 p.m., Beach to Bay Construction Browns vs. Lobstahs Colts
Jan. 15, Tuesday, 7 p.m., Integrity Sound Falcons vs. Walter & Associates Bears
Jan. 15, Tuesday, 8 p.m., West Coast Surf Shop Bucs vs. Beach to Bay Construction Browns

11-13-year-olds flag football schedule:

Jan. 11, Friday, 8 p.m., Holy Cow Ice Cream Cardinals vs. Lobstahs Bucs
Jan. 14, Monday, 6 p.m., Ross Built Construction Dolphins vs. Beach Bums Ravens
Jan. 14, Monday, 7 p.m., Mr. Bones Colts vs. Walter & Associates Bears

8-10-year-olds flag football schedule:

Jan. 9, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Manatee Cancer Center vs. Beach Bistro
Jan. 11, Friday, 6 p.m., Lobstahs Browns vs. Coastal Orthopedics Bears
Jan. 11, Friday, 7 p.m., Air & Energy Jets vs. LPAC Cardinals
Jan. 15, Tuesday, 6 p.m., Coastal Orthopedics Bears vs. Miller Electric Chargers

5-7-year-olds:

Jan. 11, Friday, 6 p.m., Lobstahs Broncos vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings

Adult co-ed Volleyball
Adult co-ed volleyball schedule:

Jan. 15, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Island Real Estate vs. Lobstah’s
Jan. 15, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Duncan Real Estate vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream
Jan. 15, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m., Lobstahs vs. Tyler’s Ice Cream

 

What every mayor should do

The headline reads, “Transform your life.”

Stories breaking this week say, “A weekend of transformation awaits in the Piney Woods of east Texas. Learn about the endless benefits of a healthful, compassionate and sustainable plant-based lifestyle.

“Gain inspiration from 15 of the world’s most influential and sought after speakers, athletes, and best-selling authors. Learn delicious recipes at vegan chef led cooking demos. Work it off with a boot camp session led by a Hollywood fitness guru.

“Learn how to lose weight, increase your energy, prevent cancer, reverse heart disease, get fit and conquer type 2 diabetes. All of this and more await you in the historic downtown of Marshall.”

This is not an ad. By the time you read this, I will have already been there. Yup. That reference to the world’s most influential and sought after speakers, athletes, best-selling authors – I’m on that list of 15.

Most influential? Oh, I don’t know. When I was a financial consultant at Smith Barney, I was often told, “This is not like investigative reporting. You don’t have to be right. Just have an opinion.”

When it comes to food, you bet I have an opinion. How could I not? I was the youngest of three girls by a long shot. Since my aunt died of cancer in our home when I was 5, I had a lifetime to see what worked and what didn’t. I had years to take seriously the dire warning I received from doctors after I almost died of colon blockage 32 years ago, or after facing a hysterectomy (which I never got) from persistent hemorrhaging fibroid tumors.

“You better do something very different with your life unless you want to end up like everyone else in your family,” the doctors sang in unison.

And that is just what I did. A plant-based diet saved me from sure death. Or at least a hysterectomy and a miserable life. Living decades with heart disease, diabetes and cancer is not fun. Or cheap. So I chose to run away from all of that as fast as I could.

I had to tally up results recently for an article someone was writing about me. Forty-one age group placements since 2006 in 5K races or longer. Those don’t include the recent placing third in state in the Senior Games in the 200, 400 and 1500 meter races. I guess after 32 years of running and eating a plant-based diet and writing a best-selling book, I must know something.

It was all of that, plus speaking around the country about my book, that got me invited to speak at Get Healthy Marshall. The mayor went on a plant-based diet, reversed his heart disease and last year, decided the entire town of Marshall, population 23,000, ought to have a good exposure to what healthy feels like.

So I’ll be joining a line-up including T. Colin Campbell, author of best selling nutritionbook, “The China Study,” Dr. Michael Greger, creator of

nutritionfacts.org, and Gene Baur, co-founder of “Farm Sanctuary.”

Fitness sessions will be led by bodybuilder, Robert Cheeke and Ellen DeGeneres’ celebrity trainer, John Pierre.

The three-day festival will bring several hundred visitors into Marshall from as far away all over the US.

In addition to my standard “Beans are way healthier/cheaper than meat” talk, I’ll be doing a workshop on injury prevention, a fitness panel with the two other exercise experts, and I was invited to be a celebrity runner at a 5K the mayor is organizing for the town. My exercise prevention class will demonstrate my warm-up and cool down exercises and stretches I’ve used for 32 years, plus my standard line, “Listen to your body!”

After all this, my hubby reminds me to eat humble pie. As a former TV reporter who understands there’s no money in broccoli and that most docs don’t get a single nutrition class in medical school, how do you shout my plant-based accomplishments from the rooftops without hiring a publicist? Being an author sure doesn’t come with instructions. Back to the pie.

Can you imagine if every mayor in the US did this? If the mayor of Marshall can do this for 23,000 people, imagine what so many other cities could do! Do try this at home!

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.