The Simply Marvelous women’s flag football team suffered its first losses of the season Sunday in Orlando. This is the team’s first season playing in this NIRSA (National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) tournament.
The tournament had six teams in it and worked through a pool-play system.
The team went 1-2 in the tournament losing 13-6 to the University of Central Florida in the first loss and 14-6 to the University of South Florida in the second. The team’s victory came against the University of West Florida 19-0.
The team struggled for the first time this season against NIRSA competition. “We played good defense,” said head coach Marvin Green Jr.
The defense didn’t allow a team more than 14 points for the tournament and they actually allowed USF to score in the semifinal game so they could get the ball back.
Freshman quarterback Ericca Collins struggled for the first time in Orlando. She threw for a touchdown and rushed for one in the tournament. This tournament was part of the learning curve for the young quarterback.
“I think I did okay,” Collins said. “I could have done better but I guess this is a learning experience.”
The offense struggled to put up points this weekend. The team didn’t score more than 13 points in any game.
“We didn’t make adjustments,” Green said.
Simply Marvelous had homecoming week in between this tournament and the Swamp Bowl. Green acknowledged the distractions of homecoming, and he said he has to make sure his team is ready for strong competition in the future.
“I have to do my part to make sure we are better prepared,” Green said.
The team faced some adversity this weekend and now has a record 5-2 for the season. They still have a long season ahead including a tournament next week in Pensacola. They can still reach the national championship if they stay focused.
“We need to work on our communication and snatching flags on (defense) and make the plays on (offense),” Kiosha Crawford, a sophomore slot receiver and middle defense player from Tampa. She has been with the team since last year.
“We had too many drops and need to work more on helping our team make plays work,” Crawford said. “It all can be fixed.”