By Drew Williams/reporter
G-Series beat The Crickets 30-6 in a game that was hard to watch because of the number of penalties committed by each team.
The game was more competitive than the score suggested. The Crickets moved the ball well, but anytime they advanced the ball close to the goal line or close to a first down, either a dropped pass or a penalty cost them possession.
After the game, referee Andrew Copeland said he wasn’t at all surprised by the number of penalties.
“The guys are basically going on instinct from what they’ve been taught since they were young,” he said. “It’s hard to change what you’re used to even when you don’t have pads on.”
Most penalties Copeland referred to are aimed at preventing flag football from being a contact sport.
“The rule against spinning is huge, and you saw it today when there were five or six penalties for spinning,” he said. “The reason you can’t spin in flag football is simple. If you’re running uphill with a defender coming at you and you spin, your head is turned the other way from the defender. Therefore, if he’s coming at you and you can’t see him, that increases the chances of contact, which is what flag football is trying to avoid entirely.”
Copeland and the other referees had an easier time in the second game between The Soldiers and Team Savage as both teams moved the ball well and played clean football for most of the game.
Team Savage beat The Soldiers 34-20 to remain undefeated. They seem to be the favorite to advance to the district championship with the winners of the other campuses.
Team Savage was led by quarterback Steven Guy, who threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns, two of which were caught by wide receiver George James.
Most of the offense for The Soldiers was provided by quarterback Lee Calton, who accounted for nearly all of the team’s yardage by passing for 151 yards and two touchdowns, adding 87 yards rushing with a touchdown.
The game was tied at 14 until late in the second quarter when the momentum shifted in favor of Team Savage on one play.
Receiver Geraud Williams made the best play of the day, bringing in a pass that was tipped by him, then tipped and almost intercepted by the defender, then found in the air to make a one-handed diving grab for a 33-yard completion.
Williams also had a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown in the game, easily making him the player of the game.
Williams liked his team’s chances of advancing to the district finals.
“As long as we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we should be able to keep playing well and keep winning,” he said.
It’s hard to argue with Williams since before Tuesday’s 34-20 win, Team Savage had won the first two games by a combined score of 72-0.
On Nov. 11, Team Savage won again, beating G-Series 36-24. The Soldiers then defeated All Day 36-6.
South intramural games continued Nov. 16 and will end Nov. 18.
The championship games among all of the campuses will be held Nov. 20 on South Campus.
