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Lizards Blue stave off Wildcatters in first round of playoffs

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  If both teams started out a bit wobbly in the second round of flag football playoffs, then the 72nd Security Forces team eventually proved they wanted victory. At least more than their 552nd Maintenance Squadron foes, who despite their 9-6 toppling of the Red Bulls earlier in the evening Tuesday, eventually fell to Security Forces 14-0.

With the win, Security Forces earned passage to the league championship semi-finals, which will conclude next week. Following their win this week, Security Forces will face the one-loss Reserve White in the semis. The winner of that game will play the Gym Rats, who topped Reserve White in the quarter-finals. Security Forces and Reserve White each have a playoff loss, meaning either team must beat the Gym Rats twice for the league title.

Security Forces finally lit the cook stove in the third quarter. After a first half that looked more like a scrimmage than a playoff game, Security Forces took a shot for the end zone. After turning it over on downs throughout the first half, it only took three plays for the cops to punch it in. Monroe Richardson busted a 55-yard run on the second play from the 552nd MXS 20-yard line, putting Security Forces in the MXS red zone. Then, on the very next play Security Forces quarterback Marques Mitchell dumped a scrambling pitch to Kevin Cuffie over the middle. Cuffie hauled it in behind the line of scrimmage and juked his way for a 20-yard touchdown run. The good two point reception pass to Willy Hart made it 8-0. The cops had turned the heat up a few notches and victory was on the menu.

Security Forces defender Kevin Robinson picked off 552nd MXS quarterback Will Grigsby on the next drive but his team failed to convert the advantage and punted. Then it was Willy Hart's turn to pick off 552nd MXS on the next drive, as he scooped up subbed quarterback Chris Jackson's pass over the middle as the fourth quarter rolled around.
Finally it was a wonky last drive of 12 plays and only 50 yards that found Security Forces celebrating in the end zone. Receiver Justin Kirk reached up to pull the rock in over the middle, ending the game at 14-0.