Platinum Plus stops Team Duval

Close to 300 fans witnessed flag football at its best Wednesday night during Platinum Plus’ rout over Team Duval 20-12.

On the opening possession, Reggie Hayes showed poise and veteran leadership by directing Platinum Plus on a 76 yard-drive. He capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Pompey in the corner of the end-zone.

“They were playing man-coverage and in man-coverage I run either a post-route or a fly-route,” said receiver Freddie Pompey, a 24-year-old from Tallahassee. “I pretty much feel that I can beat any defender out here and Reggie just found me open for the touchdown.”

In the touchdown drive, Hayes completed eight of nine passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.

“On the opening drive of the game they were mixing up their defensive coverage and I simply took what they gave me,” said Hayes, 23, a criminal justice student from Miami. “And the drive ended with our team scoring the first touchdown of the game.”

Team Duval’s opening drive was not as successful as its opponents. They drove all the way down to Platinum Plus two-yard line and hit a road block. On 4th and goal quarterback Bobby Brown threw an incomplete pass to end the drive.

However after this point, neither team even got close to the end zone for the rest of the first half. The score at halftime was 7-0 in favor of Platinum Plus.

After the break, Team Duval marched down the field with a quick-strike six-play drive that ended when Brown found wide-receiver Doug McClendon for a one-yard touchdown pass.

Momentum seemed to be in favor of Team Duval at this point and it showed on the team’s next possession when Brown hit Gerard Jenkins for a 40-yard touchdown.

However, that momentum quickly shifted to Platinum Plus’ favor. On the following possession, Platinum Plus put together a six-play drive of its own ending with Hayes again finding Pompey in the end zone for a three-yard pass.

Team Duval never really regained its momentum. On its next possession, Brown’s pass was intercepted by defensive-back Anthony Pollard. because on its next possession quarterback Bobby Brown’s pass was intercepted by Platinum Plus’s defensive-back Anthony Pollard.

“I will take the blame for that interception, it was a bad read on my part,” said Brown. “Their rushers did a good job. I just feel that our team did not come to play today.”

Platinum Plus managed to sneak into the end-zone once more before time ran out when Anthony Lumpkins darted around the left end and went into the end zone untouched. The extra point attempt was good bringing the final score to 20-12.

Ryan Boyd can be reached at bigdooby96@hotmail.com