ANNA MARIA – The gymnasium at The Center of Anna Maria Island was filled with excitement as the summer sports season started on the Island last Tuesday night. Getting out of the heat, youth indoor soccer kicked off the season on the inside pitch while the adults heated up the field with flag football action.
The youngest players, ages 3-7, played scrimmages as part of their developmental work with the older kids playing in head-to-head matches. Four of the five 8- to 10-year-old league teams played with Shady Lady Horticultural Services sitting out the first week.
Team Positive Waves beat the Progressive Cabinetry team by three goals. With the final score at 5-2, Ryan Greenberg had the hot foot for the Positive Waves squad. Hitting three shots, Greenberg’s scoring was joined by solo goals by Sebastian Cordova and Silas Whitehead.
In the win, Parker Svoboda was credited with an assist. Goalie Kellen Reed had five saves in the game against the Progressive Cabinetry offense.
Assists by Jackson Griffin, Ellison Maynard and Rafa Price helped keep the Progressive team in the game for two halves of fast-paced action.
With an arsenal of shots coming their way, Wesley Bekkerus worked hard, successfully saving seven of the Positive Wave shots in the first half of the game. Griffin relieved Bekkerus, making 11 nice stops.
Ending the second game in a tie, teams Gulf Drive Café and Solid Rock Construction each scored 10 points in their first game of the indoor season. Gulf Drive’s points were scored by Dallas Biggers, Joseph Caballero and Leo Burns, with six, three and a single goal, respectively.
Game statistics note two assists by Biggers and three for Burns.
Both teams put two goalkeepers in goal during the tied ballgame. On the Gulf Drive side, Everett Hood made nine saves and Titus Moss stopped eight shots. Solid Rock’s Elijah Roadman had 13 strong stops, while Carson Long saved six shots on goal.
Solid Rock’s scoring came off the boots of two players. Samuel Raulerson scored his solo goal. Teammate Matthew Darak used his skills and the boards to put nine points on the scoreboard.
With only four teams, the teams will get to know their competition well. Week one play matched up Jiffy Lube and AMI Outfitters. Finishing the game in another tie, each team scored eight goals.
Jiffy Lube’s Callin Westfall scored half of the points for his team. Hudson West and Gunnar Maize split the remaining four goals. Assist credits went to Maize with three and West with a single.
Putting three players at the net, Jiffy Lube’s Nolan Anderson had five stops, while Parker Svoboda made three and Maize saved one. AMI Outfitters followed suit with their five-person defensive attack in goal.
Sharing the responsibility, Jordan Tobey led the pack with six saves in the game. With three stops, Grayson Cohen helped his team with the 8-8 tie. Mackenzie Cohen, Mackenna Darak and Maggie Neidzwick each had a single save in the final game of the night.
Offensively, Wes Saxon scored six points. G. Cohen got the soccer ball past the goalie once, along with Matthew Darak, each claiming one point. Assisting with the scoring for AMI Outfitters, G. Cohen was credited with two passes that led to the successful shot.
Matthew Darak and Neidzwick each had assists in the game, adding to their game accomplishments.
In what looks to prove to be an exciting adult co-ed flag football season, eight teams took to the gridiron last Thursday night. The four high-scoring games showed the skills of the players this season.
Team Floridian Mortgage earned a win against Moss Builders 26-25. Also scoring 26 points, Fishing with Salty beat the Solid Rock Air Conditioning team by five points in the second game of the season.
Prosper Bradenton beat Salty Printing 27-25. The Salty team played without their quarterback, Charles “Tuna” McCracken. In the week’s blowout, Solid Rock Electrical scored 41 points against team Slim’s Place. Slim’s Place finished the game by putting 25 points on the board, ending week one flag football action on the Island.
SUN SCOREBOARD
JUNE 25
YOUTH INDOOR SOCCER – WEEK 1
8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE
Positive Waves 5
Progressive Cabinetry 2
Gulf Drive Café 10
Solid Rock Construction 10
11- TO 14-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE
Solid Rock Construction 8
Cloud Pest Control 5
Jiffy Lube 8
AMI Outfitters 8
MAY 27
ADULT CO-ED FLAG FOOTBALL – WEEK 1
Floridian Mortgage 26
Moss Builders 25
Fishing with Salty 26
Solid Rock Air Conditioning 21
Prosper Bradenton 27
Salty Printing 25
Solid Rock Electrical 41
Slim’s Place 25
