Battle for the top: The undefeated, defeated

The Island’s community center football field saw top-notch action between the seven adult co-ed teams on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Tuesday’s spectators saw two of the undefeated teams fall to their opponents, and Thursday night the third powerhouse team fell.

With Beach House Real Estate, Mason Martin, and Talucci Construction now each with losses, Team Beach Bums elevated in the ranks to finish the week in the third ranked position going into the last night of regular season games.

Team Avis proved Thursday night, with its defeat of the top ranked Talucci Construction, that having a full team hit the field can make or break a team. Struggling at the beginning of the season, Truly Nolen started finding its groove last week, also with a more developed roster.

Experiencing a roster change mid-week due to a critical injury to team captain Don Purvis, Beach House Real Estate fell to the middle of the pack with two losses. Despite the hit to the team, Purvis continued to lead his team Tuesday night against Beach Bums.

Playing with only four players, including its injured quarterback, Beach House held on, fought hard and only lost by a touchdown.

Beach Bums started the scoring on its second offensive drive, with team captain Charles Buky finding a wide-open Jay Hoffmeister. Purvis forced Buky to launch the football for an incomplete pass leaving the score 6-0.

Getting the football back after Beach House Real Estate failed to score, Beach Bums’ Chad Woods was the next to score, as the defense covered Mike Gillum. Karri Stephens made the point after reception, widening the team’s lead to 13-0.

Purvis led his team to its first touchdown with 42 seconds left on the first half game clock. Even with the rushing pressure of Geoff Evans, Jon Moss took over the football, tossing it to Purvis, who ran it in for six points. With the missed extra point, the scoreboard displayed the 13-6 lead by Beach Bums.

Buky ended the first half with three snaps of the football and no points.

Holding the Beach House offense to three plays, Beach Bums took over on offense and quickly made its way down the football field. A completed pass to Woods as well as a strong run by Buky gave Hoffmeister his second scoring play. Crossing into the end zone, Woods took the score to 20-6.

The hard to stop Purvis-Moss combo that has played strong for several seasons put six points on the board for Beach House, along with the extra point by Emily Argeros.

With a seven-point lead, Beach Bums made quick work of the field with a Woods touchdown, making moves past Moss and Argeros. The point after by Hoffmeister widened the Beach Bums lead to 14 points.

In the last five minutes of the game, Beach House Real Estate continued to work the ball, while Beach Bums continued to work the clock.

A single snap of the ball to Purvis put the ball into the solid hands of Moss for another TD. In a game where extra points make winners and losers, the incomplete Beach House kept it down by eight points.

Returning the favor, the first pass by Buky on their next offensive possession allowed Woods to earn six points and Stephens to put up another point for their team.

The lit scoreboard blazed the score 34-19 as the Beach House players put on their offensive hats. The driving plays lead to seven points by Argeros.

Managing the clock with the score 34-26, Beach Bums took the field again trying to maintain the lead. Knowing that a touchdown and two point play after by Beach House would tie the ball game, Buky played smart letting the seconds click off the clock while making critical passes and advancing the football.

In the last play of the game with 2.4 seconds left on the clock, Purvis as the pass rusher grabbed Buky in a mutual admiration bear hug to end the game with the score 34-26.

The second game of the night pitted the other two undefeated teams against each other: Talucci Construction and Mason Martin. David Zaccagnino, returning on the field this season after several years away, proved to be the game MVP with four sacks in the game.

Despite the slow start on offense, and tough Mason Martin defense, Talucci Construction pulled out the three-point victory. Once again, missed extra points proved to be critical in the Mason Martin loss.

After a failed offensive run by Talucci Construction, Mason Martin took the football down the field for Caleb Roberts touchdown. he missed point after catch by Jim Ptak left the score 6-0.

Kevin Roman, Talucci Construction’s number three pick during the draft, scored the team’s first seven points in the game from targeted passes by quarterback and team captain Ray Gardner.

Six snaps of the football, with first down catches by Ptak and defensive penalties, Frank Agnelli ran the ball spinning past defenders into the end zone. The extra point by Roberts moved the score to 13-7.

With 46 seconds on the clock, Talucci Construction moved the ball down the length of the field with massive quick paced runs by Gardner. The TD and point after by Roman put Talucci Construction up by one point.

The second half of play started with Mason Martin putting six points on the scoreboard with a wobbly but effective throw by Tim Shaughnessy to Agnelli.

Following the incomplete extra point pass, Gardner found Roman for his third touchdown catch after Gardner’s first down run. The sure hands of Dina Calvary caught the two-point conversion throw advancing the score to 19-22.

Team Mason Martin made a strong effort to score again and take the lead in the last minutes of the game. The Talucci Construction made critical stops to win the game and remain undefeated until Thursday night.

The first round of playoffs start this Thursday, with Talucci Construction earning the bye week. In the first game, Beach House Real Estate plays Moss Builders. Beach Bums takes on Avis in the second game Thursday. The final game of the night puts Mason Martin versus Truly Nolen.

The semifinal games will be played on August 31, ultimately leading to the much-anticipated championship game at 8:30 p.m. on Thurs., September 7.