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Flag Football: Chiefs, Falcons No Longer Undefeated

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By SCOTT PURKS

Tribune correspondent

Published: April 6, 2009

TAMPA - The week before spring break wasn't too kind to a couple of the county's best flag football teams, Chamberlain and Leto.

On Monday both teams suffered their first losses of the season, Jefferson beating Chamberlain 19-13 in triple overtime and Alonso beating Leto 20-7.

A few days after the setback, however, Leto coach Kelly Hacker said the loss wasn't a total loss.

"It was a learning experience," Hacker said. "I think maybe we were looking ahead to our game against Freedom on Monday, April 13 and we lost focus.

"So I think we learned we can't take any game, or anybody or anything for granted again. I think this loss will actually help us in a lot of ways."

Before the season began, Leto (4-1) had some of the county's highest expectations, and when you looked at their returning personnel, including all-county quarterback Breanna Moore, who could blame them?

"I have a lot of girls who have been with me for three and four years and for a lot of them this is their senior year, so yes, this season means a lot," Hacker said.

And that's why the game against Freedom, which has knocked Leto from the playoffs in past years, loomed that much larger on the schedule.

But still, to many in the county, the loss for Chamberlain probably presented the biggest shock, particularly after the Chiefs defeated Plant so soundly, 26-8, the week before.

DISTRICT SHOWDOWNS

No flag football games will be played during spring break, but when the teams return to action on April 13, the district seedings will begin to take a firmer shape.

By the end of that week, in fact, all the district seedings should pretty much be set.

"I know we're looking forward to our game against Chamberlain on that Monday," said Robinson coach Josh Saunders, whose team has won three consecutive after losing the first two. "If we win then we're still in the middle of the district race. I know a lot of other teams are looking at that week very closely."

Including teams like Bloomingdale (4-1) and Alonso, which is 3-2, but has lost its games by only a few points against strong teams.

If Bloomingdale wins its game on the 13th against Spoto, it would sew up its district's top seed because it has victories over district rivals East Bay (4-1) and Newsome (4-1).

"We're really excited because this was supposed to be a rebuilding year, and we've just gone out and had a great year," Bloomingdale coach Donny Peek said. "Hopefully we go out and beat Spoto to get that No. 1 seed."

POWERFUL PLANT CITY

Only two teams remain undefeated at 5-0, Plant City and Freedom, a fact that shouldn't be too surprising.

After all, these are the same two teams that squared off in last year's regional final, finally won by Plant City in triple overtime.

And this year, once again, it appears the Raiders have the upper hand, averaging more than 30 points a game and playing stout defense as well.

It also doesn't hurt that Plant City returns last year's Tampa Tribune flag football player of the year, quarterback Techonqueyha Shaw, who has been more devastating than ever.

"The girls talk about returning to the state tournament, but we try to keep them focused on their next game and the upcoming districts," Plant City coach Michael Paul said. "We learned a lot at last year's state tournament where the Raiders finished as runners-up, and we know the kind of focus we need."

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