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Gym Rats, Med Group and Reserve White remain unbeaten

  • Published
  • By Mike W. Ray
  • Staff Writer
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  In a defensive battle of two previously unbeaten flag football teams, the Gym Rats defeated the Navy's SCW1 Tuesday night, scoring on offense and defense alike. The Rats won, 14-0, on a touchdown pass, an interception that was run back for a TD and a 2-point conversion.

In an earlier game, in which the lead changed five times, the 72nd Medical Group pulled away in the second half to beat Reserve Gold, 28-19. Also Tuesday night, Reserve Red bested the Navy's Iron Men, 18-6, and Reserve White continued their winning streak, edging the 552nd ACNS, 42-34.

On SCW1's first possession, quarterback Shawn Ballard scrambled and passed his squad to the Gym Rats' 10-yard line, but then overthrew two receivers and a third pass was incomplete. The Gym Rats took over on downs, but a pass from quarterback Cody Brooks was intercepted by SCW1's Andy Bates to end the drive.

From the Rats' 23, Ballard advanced to the 17 on a QB keeper, but was sacked by Brandon Newhouse for a 13-yard loss on the next play. Ballard completed two subsequent passes but SCW1 was unable to punch it in, so the Gym Rats took over on downs at their 10-yard line.

Brooks picked up 25 yards on two consecutive keepers, a lateral to Taylor Lamar added 19 and a pass to James Callins added 8 more yards. Brooks then tossed a TD spiral to Lamar, putting the Gym Rats on the scoreboard first, 6-0; the extra-point attempt failed.
Ballard completed three consecutive passes to get SCW1 to near midfield, but was intercepted by the Gym Rats' Elbert Craig. The Rats, though, were unable to capitalize before the half ended.

On the Rats' first possession to open the second half, Brooks was intercepted by his counterpart, Ballard, at the Sailors' 5-yard line. Six plays later, Brooks intercepted a Ballard pass and ran it back for a Gym Rats touchdown; Brooks then tacked on 2 more points with a quarterback keeper on the conversion, raising the score to 14-0.

After drives by both SCW1 and the Gym Rats stalled, Ballard, starting from his 10, gained 29 on a keeper and lateraled to Kyle Coe for 11 more, but was sacked by Chris Garza for a loss of seven. Ballard then scrambled to the Rats' 10, and a 5-yard penalty against the Rats for being offside on fourth down put SCW1 at the 5. However, Callins broke up a Ballard pass and the Rats took over at their 5.

Passes by Brooks advanced the Rats to midfield, but the clock ran out.

Reserve Gold quarterback Randy Schell started his campaign with a first-down pass to Joe Huizar, and followed that up with a touchdown spiral to Brett Nims, but Schell's attempt to run it in for 2 failed. Gold's lead was fleeting. Medic quarterback Phillip Starks promptly heaved a TD pass to Marques Mitchell, then tossed a PAT pass to Stephen St. Hilaire, giving the Med Group the lead, 7-6.

Schell passes to Nims, Mike Rosenthal and Rob Doty put Gold on the Medics' 1. Rosenthal scored on a pass, and Nims caught a PAT pass, giving Gold the lead again, 13-7.

Starks responded with a quarterback keeper that advanced the Med Group to Gold's 15-yard line. Passes to Mitchell, Gregory Johnson and Thomas Love moved the Medics to the 1. Starks lobbed a TD spiral to Love, then ran it in for the 2-point conversion, giving the Medics the lead again, 15-13.

Schell gained 20 to give Gold a first down at their own 30, and a pass to Tom Carter pushed them to the Med Group 17. Schell threw a TD pass to Rosenthal, putting Gold ahead, 19-15, but a Schell pass attempt for the PAT was intercepted by Mitchell.

Nims intercepted a Starks pass to end the first half.

Early in the second half, the Medics proceeded downfield to the Gold 10, and from there Starks scored on a keeper, but the PAT failed. The Med Group regained the lead, 21-19.

On Gold's next possession, a fourth-down pass from Schell was blocked by Willie Hart, and the Medics took over on downs at Gold's 30. Starks completed a pass to St. Hilaire to the Gold 19-yard line, a QB keeper put the Medics at the 3, and the Medics scored on a Starks pass to David Langston, who was wide open in the end zone. A PAT pass to Mitchell ended the scoring at 28-19.

On its final possession, Gold advanced to the Medics' 37, but Mitchell intercepted a Schell pass to end the drive and the game.

The Medics, Reserve White and the Gym Rats are all 2-0 on the season, SCW1 and Reserve Red are 1-1, while Reserve Gold, the Iron Men and ACNS dropped to 0-2.