The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 13 No. 20 - February 27, 2013

sports

Defenses dominant in Center football

The Sun flag football game of the week was an Anna Maria Island Community Center Adult Co-ed AFC Divisional matchup between the BY Construction Bears and the Duncan Real Estate Cardinals.

Defense dominated the highlights in the first half of this game. The Duncan Real Estate Cardinals started with the ball on offense. Three plays later, Andrew Babchick, of the BY Construction Bears team, intercepted a pass.

The Cardinals team defense then forced the Bears to a three and out. The ball went into the hands of the Cardinals offense, but on a third and goal from the 20-yard line, Chuck McCracken batted down the incomplete pass for the Bears defense.

The Bears broke the scoreless tie when quarterback Tim Tedesco threw a quick slant to Andrew Babchick, who sprinted down the sideline 45 yards for the touchdown. The extra point pass was good to Chuck McCracken, 7-0 Bears.

The Cardinals marched down field and on third and goal from the seven yard line the Bears defense came up big again. Tedesco intercepted a pass on the five-yard line and returned it 40 yards for the pick-six TD. The extra-point was no good, 13-0 Bears.

With just over two minutes remaining in the half, the Cardinals got on the scoreboard when quarterback Jason Vancleave connected with Dylan Kraut for the four-yard touchdown. The extra-point was good on a pass to Kraut again, 13-7 Bears.

With one minute and 18 seconds left in the half, the Cardinals defense stepped up when Vancleave intercepted a pass and returned it to the 18-yard line. On third and goal from the five, Kraut took a handoff and passed back to quarterback Vancleave for the touchdown. The extra-point was good on the normal pass connection of Vancleave to Kraut, 14-13 Bears.

With 37 seconds left the Bears were on the move again but stalled when Chris Wilson, of the Cardinals defense, got a big third down sack.

Then with only 15 seconds left in the half, the Cardinals scored again on a Vancleave to Kraut 32-yard touchdown pass. The extra-point was unsuccessful, but still left the Cardinals with the 20-13 lead.

The Cardinals defense was not done yet and with only five seconds left in the half Kraut intercepted a pass and stopped the Bears from scoring again. The score at the half was 20-13 Cardinals.

The Bears offense reorganized and rejuvenated from the halftime. Tedesco threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Babchick, which capped off the impressive six play, first drive, of the second half. The extra-point was good on a Tedesco to McCracken pass and tied the game 20-20.

The Cardinals first offensive drive did not fare as well. With second and goal, Chuck McCracken intercepted the pass on the five yard line and returned it 40 yards for a pick six touchdown. The extra-point was good on a Tedesco to Matt Ray pass, 27-20 Bears.

The next Cardinals possession ended the same exact way when McCracken intercepted a pass again and stopped the Card’s offense.

With seven minutes left in the game, the Bears scored again on a Tedesco to Babchick connection for their third touchdown of the night. The extra-point was good on a diving Matt Ray catch, 34-20 Bears.

The Cardinals finally scored in the second half with only one minute left. Kraut took a handoff and then found Chris Wilson in the end-zone for the 22-yard passing TD. The extra-point was good when Vancleave passed to Wilson and brought the Cardinals to within one score 34-27.

The Bears offense managed to run out the rest of the clock and seal the victory for them 34 to 27. Thus ending a great defense matchup of which the defenses accounted for more than half of the scoring.

Adult co-ed Flag Football Results

Agnelli Pools & Spa Giants  55
Harrington House Bucs  41

Sato Real Estate Browns  33.
Beach to Bay Construction Ravens  20

BY Construction Bears 34
Duncan Real Estate Cardinals  27

Waterfront restaurant Dolphins  33 Vs. Lobstahs Lions  18

Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings  31
Florida Discount Signs Colts  12

Duffy’s Tavern Raiders  42
The Island Sun Bills  29

Adult co-ed Flag Football Schedule

Feb. 27, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings vs. Agnelli Pools & Spa Giants
Feb. 27, Wednesday, 8 p.m., Harrington House Bucs vs. BY Construction Bears
Feb. 27, Wednesday, 9 p.m., Duncan Real Estate Cardinals vs. Duffy’s Tavern Raiders
Feb. 28, Thursday, 6 p.m., Florida Discount Signs Colts vs. Beach to Bay Construction Ravens
Feb. 28, Thursday, 7 p.m., Lobstahs Lions vs. Southern Greens Seahawks
Feb. 28, Thursday, 8 p.m., Waterfront restaurant Dolphins vs. Slim’s Place Patriots
Feb. 28, Thursday, 9 p.m., The Island Sun Bills vs. Sato Real Estate Browns

14–17-Year-Olds Flag Football Results

Walter & Associates Bears  33
Beach to Bay Construction Browns  20

Eat Here Packers  46
West Coast Surf Shop Bucs  36

14-17-Year-Olds Flag Football schedule

March 2, Saturday, 9 a.m., 5th place seed vs. 4th place seed - playoffs
March 2, Saturday, 10 a.m., 6th place seed vs. 3rd place seed - playoffs
March 4, Monday, 8 p.m., winner of March 2 game 9 a.m. vs. 1st place seed
March 5, Tuesday, 8 p.m., winner of March 2 game 10 a.m. vs. 2nd place seed

11-13-Year-Olds Flag Football Results

Holy Cow Ice Cream Cardinals  27
Ross Built Construction Dolphins  20

11-13-Year-Olds Flag Football schedule

March 2, Saturday, 3 p.m., 7th place seed vs. 2nd place seed - playoffs
March 2, Saturday, 4 p.m., 6th place seed vs. 3rd place seed – playoffs
March 2, Saturday, 5 p.m., 5th place seed vs. 4th place seed – Playoffs
March 4, Monday, 6 p.m., winner of March 2 game 3 pm vs. inner of March 2 game 4 p.m.
March 4, Monday, 7 p.m., winner of March 2 game 5 p.m. vs. 1st place seed

8-10-Year-Olds Flag Football Results

Miller Electric Chargers  18
Air & Energy Jets  14

Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins  13
LPAC Cardinals  8

Air & Energy Jets  33
Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins  14

Lobstahs Browns  36
Coastal Orthopedics Bears  20

Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins  13
LPAC Cardinals  8

Air & Energy Jets  33
Manatee Cancer Center Dolphins  14

Lobstahs Browns  36
Coastal Orthopedics Bears  20

Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings  25
Beach Bistro Bucs  6

LPAC Cardinals  19
Miller Electric Chargers  0

8-10-Year-Olds Flag Football schedule

Feb. 27, Wednesday, 6 p.m., Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings vs. Lobstahs Browns
March 2, Saturday, 11 a.m., 8th place seed vs. 1st place seed - playoffs
March 2, Saturday, 12 p.m., 7th place seed vs. 2nd place seed – playoffs
March 2, Saturday, 1 p.m., 6th place seed vs. 3rd place aeed – playoffs
March 2, Saturday, 2 p.m., 5th place seed vs. 4th place seed – playoffs
March 5, Tuesday, 6 p.m., winner of March 2 game 12 p.m. vs. winner of March 2 game 1 p.m.
March 5, Tuesday, 7 p.m., winner of March 2 game 11 a.m. vs. winner of March 2 game 2 p.m.

5-7-Year-Olds Flag Football Schedule:

March 18, Monday, 6 p.m., Awards Ceremony

Adult co-ed Volleyball Results:

Island Real Estate  25
Lobstahs  14
(First game of best 2 out of 3)

Island Real Estate  25
Lobstahs  14
(Second game of best 2 out of 3)

Duncan Real Estate  25
Tyler’s Ice Cream  17
(First game of best 2 out of 3)

Duncan Real Estate  25
Tyler’s Ice Cream  13
(Second game of best 2 out of 3)

Tyler’s Ice Cream  25
Lobstahs  19
(First game of best 2 out of 3)

Tyler’s Ice Cream  25
Lobstahs  14
(Second game of best 2 out of 3)

Adult co-ed Volleyball schedule

Feb. 26, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Lobstahs vs. Island Real Estate - playoffs
Feb. 26, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Tyler’s Ice Cream vs. Duncan Real Estate - playoffs
Feb. 26, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m., winner of 6:30 Game 1 vs. winner of 7:30 game 2 - championship

 

Running in bad weather

When someone complains about the weather, I just laugh.

I’ve seen, lived and worked in the ugliest weather a TV reporter’s job can buy. Weather was, and still is, the best ratings that the media can buy.

Mother Nature knows no mercy when it comes to handing out big ratings. From my 18 years as a TV reporter, nothing like a Cat 5 hurricane, drought or Nor’easter to attract viewers – if they still have power. But even that, these days, is not insurmountable. Charge it up in advance, and you’re good to go for a few days. And when that runs out, recharge on your car battery.

I don’t mean to sound like the old, callused and jaded reporter that I am, but when the Cat 1 hurricane David rolled up to Miami circa 1979, I was sure I was gonna die. I was assigned to go talk to the bridge tender on Key Biscayne. Piece o’carrot cake. There was no one else out except us.

Then I was assigned to fly into Marathon, elevation 7 feet, the sign at the airport said when I landed. A 6-foot tidal surge was predicted. I figured I had about a foot to tread water.

Like so many doom and gloom predicted stories on the news, the hurricane fortunately came in mildly over Palm Beach and missed Miami and the Keys completely. This Midwestern tornado girl was so terrified of hurricanes, that I was sure the hurricane would make a sudden turn inland and I’d be caught in the eye in the middle of the dark night.

But nothing compared to covering constant snow and ice in Des Moines. After 18 long torturous months, the job offers came – weeknight primetime anchor job in Salt Lake City, or a reporter’s job in Miami. The day the call came in, I was the only reporter who showed up to work to take pictures of everyone else getting stuck in the snow and failing to start their cars in the 70 below wind chills. I didn’t hesitate for a second.

At least with hurricanes, generally speaking, you have an hour or two to outrun them. So with the couple of days of chilly, windy and rainy weather we’ve had this week, I headed right out to the beach to get in my 3- to 4-mile run. On Wednesday, it was windy and cold. I passed two other runners, our heads down into the wind, and not many others.

On Thursday, there were a few more souls as the gray skies kept many people inside hoping for the sun to poke through. Bad weather in Florida is just so relative. As I approached the shoreline, about 7:30, I saw a baby dolphin swimming with an adult. But beyond the usual frolicking that you often see, these two were swimming at the crest of each wave, wave after wave, body-surfing like nothing I had ever seen.

I promise I don’t have connections to the Chamber of Commerce, but just when you think you’ve seen it all here in paradise, something else surprises you. It takes a lot to make me stop my morning run once it is in progress. This was definitely a showstopper. Another couple had stopped to watch. I shared my awe with them to make sure they understood that what we were watching was not an everyday occurrence.

Then the usual conversation, ”You live here?” they asked.

“Deals can be had – just sayin.”

I kept running, running along the shoreline, letting the crashing waves play tag with my feet. The sand, as it often is, was just perfect to run on. The recent rain packed it down nicely, but not too hard. It was level enough to run on without any steep sloping issues or hip discomfort.

The little bit of sunlight was gone by now. The skies looked more dark and threatening. People were leaving the beach. As long as there’s no lightening, races and running don’t get cancelled.

Bring it. I love bad weather here. Gotta run.

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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