Reserve Gold muffles Thunder

Published May 6, 2016
By John Parker
Staff Writer

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Reserve Gold's success on both sides of the ball earned the team a 17-0 shutout in the first round of the Spring Flag Football League playoffs.

No. 4 seed Reserve Gold handily overcame No. 5 Supply Chain Management Squadron (SCMS) Thunder on Tuesday at the athletic field north of the dorms.

Thunder moves down to the losers bracket and will play the Swamp Donkeys at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in the double-elimination tourney.

With first possession, the Thunder handed Reserve Gold prime field position when they couldn't convert fourth down. Gold took over at the Thunder 35.

Gold QB Jeff Inferrere connected with 10- and 6-yard passes to the 19. Thunder linemen responded with a sack for a two-yard loss and forcing a fourth down on the 21. Gold's field goal attempt fell short.

With little headway with the ball next, the Thunder opted to punt on fourth. They set Gold back to their own territory on the 39.

Reserve Gold demonstrated its offensive prowess with a string of 11 plays and two first downs in a drive to the two-yard line. The Thunder D held strong, regaining the ball at the two after Gold's failed TD play.

Thunder quarterback Michael Elliott handed off to Trayvon Limbrick who blasted out of the hole with an 11-yard juking run to the 13. Thunder later gave Gold their best field position of the game, however, at the Thunder 16, when a conversion attempt failed.

The Thunder defense, though, kept Gold to a field goal and a 3-0 halftime lead.
Thunder defenders were still on attack in the second half as they forced Gold to go three and out on the 33. Gold punter Jacob Bacon, though, stripped away Thunder's chance at good field position with a whopping 55-yard kick to the Thunder 12.

Bacon pulled another clutch move two plays later, stealing the ball back with an interception at their 25. Inferrere later threw to Brett Nims, open just past the goal line in the center. Gold went up 10-0 after the kick.

The Thunder got to their 36 in the next possession, but a fourth down pass hit the dirt.
From there, Inferrere advanced Gold to the 15 on a 16-yard run. He later zipped the ball to Nims at the 15, who scrambled for a 6-pointer. The kick set the score 17-0.
Thunder QB Elliott put together a good six-play drive that was caught short when refs ended the game on a mercy rule at the two-minute mark.

Thunder coach Kelvin Ervin said the team played an outstanding first half, stopping two scoring threats and giving up only three points on the third. A better run/pass mix in the second would have helped to "shake it up a little," he said.

Reserve Gold will battle No. 1 seed Med Group at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.