HomeNewsArticle Display

34th CCS drops VQ-7 in overtime victory

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  It was a flag football game for the ages Tuesday night.

Or if not, then it tried its best to be one. And the conditions couldn't have been better. Or, couldn't have been worse, depending how you look at it.

A steady drizzle fell and a cold wind swept down the plains Dec. 1 as VQ-7 and 34th CCS battled it out on the sloppy gridiron. It was the playoffs, and this is what the teams had been working for all season.

If the lights shutting off mid-play in the fourth quarter as VQ-7 receiver Nate Ferraro went up for a pass (and caught it, in the dark) wasn't enough, there was 34th CCS' missed field goal - which would've won the game - in the fourth quarter with seconds left to force an overtime situation.

And it had been anybody's ballgame the whole time. Stifling defenses had kept the score to 6-0 in 34th CCS' favor in the first half as quarterback Gary Brown connected with Justin Tuck for a touchdown. And it wasn't until the end of the third quarter that VQ-7 finally put a touchdown on the board, capping a 50-yard scoring drive with a pass from quarterback Janai Holcomb to Ferraro in the end zone. VQ-7 tried for the PAT but was stymied by a quirky technicality that states the kick holder can't lift his knees from the ground. Thus, it was 6-6 with the whole fourth quarter to play. Still anybody's ballgame.

Cheers erupted from VQ-7 minutes later as 34th CCS missed what would've been the game-winning fieldgoal. VQ-7 was still in it. Bring on the overtime.

In overtime, each team starts from their opponents' 40-yard line and has four downs to either score or, gain as many offensive yards as possible.

Whichever team scores or gains the most yards is the winner.

And 34th CCS was that winner Tuesday night as they sacked VQ-7's Holcomb for a loss. The sack put VQ-7's overtime yardage at negative eight and 34th CCS took over on downs.

34th CCS only had to gain one yard of offense for the win, which they did on the first play.

"It's just our unity, we muscle through," quarterback Gary Brown with 34th CCS said after the game. "That's what sets us apart from the herd."

34th CCS played AFR White Thursday, but results were not available at press time. Playoffs run through this week and conclude Dec. 9.