Teams vie for championship in flag football Published May 18, 2012 By Mike W. Ray Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 72nd Medical Group eked out a one-point victory Monday over Reserve Gold, which was within three yards and one more play of winning the flag football playoff game despite a severely diminished roster. The Medics led at the half, 14-7, and although they were held scoreless in the second half, Gold was able to muster only a touchdown but not the 1-point PAT needed to tie the game nor a 2-point conversion to win it. In another Round 2 playoff game Monday, SCW1 trailed the Gym Rats 20-0 at halftime, but scored 15 unanswered points in the next two quarters. Although the Rats failed to cross the goal line in the second half, they nevertheless held on for the win, 20-15. Also Monday evening, the previously winless Iron Men defeated hapless ACNS, 17-12, ousting the controllers from the playoffs. Reserve Gold tallied quickly against the Medics. A pass from backup quarterback Larry Mansell to Mike Templeman advanced Gold to midfield. From there, Jim Sherman snared a pass and raced down the left sideline and into the end zone. An extra-point pass from Mansell to Sherman raised the score to 7-0 Gold. The Med Group promptly responded with a TD strike from quarterback Phil Starks to Kwamina Boyd. The PAT attempt failed, but the Medics trailed by just one, 7-6. On their next possession, Reserve Gold stalled at the Med Group's 23 and the Medics took over on downs. From Gold's 24, Starks scampered for a touchdown, and added a 2-point conversion on a keeper. The Medics led, 14-7. Reserve Gold marched downfield to the Med Group's 10, but Boyd intercepted a Gold pass to end the first half. Minutes into the second half, Templeman intercepted a Starks pass, and four plays later Mansell raced into the end zone for a touchdown. His PAT pass fell incomplete, leaving Gold trailing, 14-13. Starks passes to Marques Mitchell and to Boyd gained 30 yards. Starks then lobbed a pass to Thomas Love, who lateraled to Boyd, but he was stopped at the Gold 19. Templeman intercepted the next Med Group pass, but Gold stalled. The Medics drove downfield to the Gold 1-yard line, but were unable to shove the ball in on four tries and Gold took over. From his own 18, Mansell heaved a pass to Jim Gasaway, who lateraled to a trailing Brian Van Curen -- but he was stopped at the Med Group's 3 as time expired. The Med Group fielded a 10-man team Monday, but Reserve Gold had only one substitute -- and not for the entire game. The Gold squad had already been thinned by deployments (two on May 12, including the starting quarterback), illness (a key receiver contracted strep throat), and school (two players had finals Monday night) before the game. During the game, Templeman sustained a bruised or broken rib and Gasaway dislocated a finger. SCW1, rusty from a three-week layoff, spent the entire first half of their game trying to find their rhythm. The Sailors' quarterback, Shawn Ballard, was sacked on the first play of the game by Gym Rat Brandon Newhouse, and three plays later SCW1 "punted" to the Gym Rats. Passes to Taylor Lamar, Chris Garza and Jack Harrison advanced the Rats downfield to the Sailors' 19, and quarterback Cody Brooks scrambled into the end zone for a touchdown. A PAT pass to Harrison tacked on one more point, giving the Rats a 7-0 lead. On third down, a Ballard pass to Nathan Mills was intercepted by Lamar, who returned it for a TD. The PAT failed, but the Rats' margin had grown to 13-0. On SCW1's next possession, Lamar again intercepted a pass and sprinted to the goal line for another score, and James Callins clutched the PAT pass. The halftime score stood at 20-0. The Rats opened the second half and marched downfield, but were stopped at the Sailors' 4-yard line and SCW1 took over on downs. A Ballard keeper and two passes to Andy Bates put SCW1 at their 39, and Mills scored on a 41-yard pass play. The PAT failed, but SCW1 was finally on the scoreboard, 20-6. David Crocker intercepted a Brooks aerial, and passes to B.J. Scott and Mark Hearn moved the Navy team into Gym Rats territory. That led to a 21-yard scoring strike from Ballard to Damon Ireland, and Hearn grabbed the PAT pass, narrowing the score to 20-13. After the ball changed hands, Ireland sacked Brooks for a safety, tacking on two more points for the Sailors: 20-15. With the clock winding down, SCW1 mounted another drive, but a bobbled pass was picked off by Garza. The Gym Rats were at the Sailors' 21-yard line when time ran out. Playoff schedule Round 4: Medics vs. Gold (loser eliminated) Round 5: Gym Rats vs. Round 4 winner. (The title game was played Thursday evening, after this week's TTO deadline. A story about the contest will be carried in next week's paper.)