By Gary Curreri

Janet Stuart is showing no signs of age as she won her 5th Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association 2015 Past President’s Cup Championship recently.

Stuart, 82, won in a tiebreaker of a match of scorecards over Debbie Brown, 58, of Deerfield Beach. Stuart shot an 85 (net 67) on the second day after an opening round 95 (77 net). The winner was decided by using the USGA recommended method and going back on the last nine holes played to determine the winner.

Stuart scored a 43, less nine handicap strokes for a net total of 34, while runner-up Debbie Brown, of Deerfield Beach, shot a 42, less seven handicap strokes for a total of 35. Stuart won the tiebreaker by one stroke.

“(Winning) this particular tournament was a surprise to me because I hadn’t done too well on the first day,” said Stuart, of Oakland Park, who won her 5th President’s Cup title after shooting a two-day net score total of 144. “I didn’t figure I had a chance so I wasn’t paying much attention to it, so maybe that was good. I didn’t get nervous.”

Brown, 58, of Deerfield Beach, said she knew when they tied with the 144s that she would be runner-up.

“Janet and I played together the last round of the President’s Cup,” Brown said. “When they announced the tie, I knew right away I had lost the competition because of our back nine scores and our handicaps.

“When they announced I had won, I also knew that was incorrect,” Brown added. “I refrained from the discussion and allowed those present to resolve it … Of course, I was disappointed, but Janet Stuart has long been my hero when it comes to golf. I admire her and I am encouraged by her that the future holds many more bright sunny days of golf.”

Stuart also won the President’s Cup titles in 2000, 2001, 2010 and 2012. She’s won a couple of Club Championships at the Pines Course at the Pompano Beach Golf Course too.

“It was more of a surprise because I am getting up there and all these young girls are playing well,” said Stuart, who is currently a 17 handicap. “I almost shot my age the second round and I was thinking more of that than winning the tournament. I was hoping to sneak in a couple of more pars or birdies coming in.”

Bucks blanked; season over

Deerfield Beach saw its seven-game winning streak and hopes for a state championship come to a screeching halt on Friday as visiting Flanagan blanked the Bucks, 17-0, in the Class 8A regional semifinal.

Deerfield Beach (10-2) entered the game averaging 32.2 points per game; however, Flanagan (10-2) gave up just three first downs and 79 total yards in a dominating defensive performance.

Devin Bush broke a scoreless tie with a 21-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, and Angel Trujillo added a 32-yard field goal with three seconds left in the first half to give the Falcons a 10-0 lead. Flanagan’s defense held the Bucks to 21 yards in the first half and no first downs.

Flanagan, which avenged a 14-7 overtime loss to Deerfield Beach in the 2013 regional quarterfinals, iced the game on Dredrick Snelson’s 25-yard TD run with 7:50 remaining in the game.

By Gary Curreri

If Deerfield Beach is to move on in the Class 8A state playoffs, it will have to fly past the visiting “Dirty Birds” from Flanagan High School on Friday night.

The Bucks (10-1) will host Flanagan (9-2) in the regional semifinal beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Flanagan has won 8 of its past 9 games, with the lone loss coming against St. Thomas Aquinas, 19-14 two weeks ago. Flanagan’s other loss came against South Plantation, 13-12, in the third game of the season.

The Falcons reached the state semifinals last season, while the Bucks failed to make the playoffs last year for only the second time since 1998. The other time Deerfield Beach didn’t make the playoffs was in 2011. It has been seven seasons since Deerfield Beach reached the regional finals. It lost 34-30 to Miramar in the Class 8A regional final in 2008.

Deerfield Beach is on a 7-game win streak with the team’s lone loss coming to Jacksonville Bolles, 33-15. It edged Plantation, 17-14 in the regional quarters as junior Jerry Jeudy caught 10 passes for 123 yards and scored on touchdowns covering 48 and 6 yards from senior quarterback Teddrick Moffett, who was 13-of-16 for 147 yards.

Senior Jefferson Souza also hit a 48-yard field goal. Sophomore running back Jordan Johnson kept the Colonels in the game with 188 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Tigers upset bid comes up short

Blanche Ely’s football team put up a valiant effort; however, it dropped a 16-14 decision to host Dwyer in the Class 7A regional quarterfinal game last week.

After Dwyer took the opening kickoff and drove 59 yards for the 7-0 lead on a 3-yard scoring run by Jakari Moses, the Tigers (2-9) answered swiftly with an 80-yard scoring toss Zack Perdue to Thomas Gattis on the first play from scrimmage to cut the lead to 7-6.

Dwyer (10-1) took the ensuing kickoff and Moses struck again when he caught a 17-yard TD pass from Toddy Centeio for a 13-6 advantage. Ely pulled to within 13-12 just before the halftime intermission when Jeremy Taylor caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Perdue.

Midway through the third quarter, the Tigers grabbed its first lead of the game when it hauled down Moses in the end zone for a safety after an Ely punt was downed at Dwyer’s 1-yard line. That 14-13 lead held up until Patrick Trepcos kicked a 37-yard field goal with 8:26 remaining in the game for the 16-14 win.

Ely missed wide right on a potential go-ahead 34-yard field goal with 4:10 remaining.

Martin turns pro

Pompano Beach’s Chasity Martin will make her professional boxing debut tonight at the Jaragua Casino and Resort in the Dominican Republic.

The 18-year-old will fight Santo Domingo featherweight Mariela Martinez on the undercard of the Euri Gonzalez-Geyson Bastardo welterweight bout.

“I have great respect for the officials and staff of USA Boxing, but it’s time I move forward,” said Martin, who fights out of King Cobra Boxing under the direction of Mike Tyson’s former sparring coach Stacey McKinley.

Martin won the Sunshine State Games title earlier this year with a unanimous decision over Joke Dekeersschieter (Heart & Soul Boxing). Martin spent four years fighting as an amateur. She had hoped to make the U.S. National team and fight in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but lost a split decision to two-time national champion Anna Crutchfield in a pre-qualifying round.

By Gary Curreri

First-year Deerfield Beach football coach Jevon Glenn can cross one thing off his team’s bucket list.

In dominating fashion, the Bucks returned to district prominence with a convincing, 38-0 victory Friday night over visiting Piper to secure the top spot in the District 11-8a standings.

Deerfield Beach (8-1, 5-0) will tackle Cardinal Gibbons this week in its final regular season game before hosting district 12-8a runner-up Plantation in the first round of the Class 8a playoffs.

“It is a huge win bringing the championship back home to Deerfield,” Glenn said. “We wanted to make sure we took care of that first and foremost. This shows me that they will get up for the challenge.”

The Bucks, which finished 4-6 last season and missed the playoffs for only the second time since 1998 – the other time was in 2011– have outscored the opposition 300-85 and the lone blemish on the team’s record is a 33-15 loss to perennial state power Jacksonville Bolles five weeks ago.

“We came out ready to go and we are maturing,” Glenn added. “We are not as good as we are going to be and we haven’t peaked out yet. That is a thing that I am very proud of and very excited about, that we still can get better.”

Piper (8-1, 4-1) literally handed Deerfield Beach (8-1, 5-0) its first touchdown when the Bengals tried a running play on a 4th and 15 play from its own 15 on the first drive of the game.

The Bucks took over and wasted little time making it 7-0 as Giavante Evans ran for 10 yards, and one play later senior quarterback Teddrick Moffett went around left end for the score with 9:57 left in the first quarter. It was the beginning of an onslaught as Deerfield Beach made it 14-0 on the first of two touchdown runs by Kobe Farrish.

Moffett found wide receiver Cavin Ridley on a 42-yard scoring play at the end of the first half to increase the lead to 28-0. By the end of the third quarter, the Bucks had forced a running clock following a Jefferson Souza 22-yard field goal and 24-yard TD pass from Moffett to Alton Allen.

“This is a big win for us,” Ridley said. “It is a district game and we worked hard in practice. We just came to dominate and that’s what we did.”

Ridley was surprised to see Piper go for a first down early in the contest that swung the momentum.

“Respect is nothing when you are a rival team, so you have to earn your respect,” Ridley said. “So we just came out and we fought.”

Tornadoes move on

The Pompano Beach high school girls volleyball team won its Class 5a regional semifinal with a 25-17, 25-14, 25-23 victory over visiting Archbishop McCarthy on Saturday. Cassidy Bonito led the way with 31 assists, 19 digs, 9 kills and three blocks, while teammate Jasmine Souverein-Reisert added 7 kills, 5 blocks, and three digs.

By Gary Curreri

Even though the Deerfield Beach High School football team came up short in its game on Friday night against visiting Jacksonville Bolles, Bucks quarterback Teddrick Moffett was the big winner earlier in the week when he was presented with a very large check.

Moffett and Blanche Ely High School linebacker David Francis were each awarded $1,000 scholarships from the McDougle Family Foundation. The two players were recognized as MVPs of the rain-shortened McDougle Bowl held in honor of the McDougle Brothers on Sept. 12.

Stockar McDougle (1996 Deerfield Beach grad) and Jerome McDougle (1997 Blanche Ely grad) were on hand for the second annual McDougle Bowl game. Stockar McDougle went on to play college football at the University of Oklahoma, while Jerome McDougle played at the University of Miami. Both brothers went on to play in the NFL.

The scholarships were handed out during a pep rally at Deerfield Beach. Moffett accounted for four scores, while Francis had an interception and fumble recovery.

The mission of the McDougle Family Foundation and Firstability Program is to encourage teens to stay focused on their education and provide at-risk students with support during those crisis moments.

Jerome McDougle said the game and the Foundation help start the students off with the tools necessary to succeed. Jerome McDougle, who played with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants from 2003-2008, said the game has its place.

“The McDougle Bowl is super important because it’s about two guys coming back to the community to show the kids there are many ways to make it to the next level,” he said. “You get through the front door and achieve success through academics.”

“This is awesome,” he continued. “It is great for me and my brother to come back to one of the greatest rivalries in Broward County and we were a part of it. Both teams have had players go and play in the National Football League so it is good for us to come back.”

Stockar McDougle, who played with the Detroit Lions from 2000-04 and the Miami Dolphins in 2005 before finishing his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006-07, called it cool for him and his brother to give back to the community. He is the only one from his family that didn’t attend Blanche Ely because of unusual boundaries during his high school tenure.

“This is all about pouring more resources into the community,” Stockar said. “We have a lot of athletes who have come out of these two programs and who have gone on and done great things.”

Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn said the game has taken off and is glad the McDougle brothers are invested.

“It has gotten bigger and actually better,” said Glenn, who played in the game in 1995-96. “Especially with the McDougles coming on board and doing everything leading up to the game. I am very pleased and proud of the growth that the game has had over the 20 years.”

Class 4A power Jacksonville Bolles (5-0) scored 26 unanswered points in the second half to carve out a 33-15 victory over the Bucks (3-1) in a battle of unbeaten teams. Moffett once again was the star as he scored on runs of 97 and 46 yards to account for both Bucks’ touchdowns.

By Gary Curreri

Both the stadium and the host football team suffered from a power outage, and, in the end, Deerfield Beach prevailed 30-12 over host Blanche Ely in the second annual McDougle Bowl last Saturday night.

Deerfield Beach struck early and often, and, ultimately, a power outage ended the contest with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter with the Bucks winning the contest. The second annual McDougle Bowl game was presented by brothers Jerome McDougle (1997 Ely grad) and Stockar McDougle (1996 Deerfield Beach grad) who both went on to play in the NFL.

Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn said it is was a big game for the program.

“This is huge,” Glenn said. “It is a big rivalry game between the Pompano and Deerfield Beach communities. I played in this game (1995-96) so I know the electricity in this game and I want to make sure the kids know the importance of it. You can throw the records out of the window. Throw the wins and losses out the window. It is time to battle.”

“It has gotten bigger and actually better,” Glenn said. “Especially with the McDougles coming on board and doing everything leading up to the game. I am very pleased and proud of the growth that the game has had over the [past] 20 years.”

Deerfield Beach (2-0) struck as quickly as the lightning in the area that prompted the game to be delayed for one hour and 40-minutes. The game then endured a 20-minute power outage at 10:45 p.m. before officials called the game.

Bucks senior quarterback Teddrick Moffett, who transferred from Blanche Ely prior to the season, engineered three scores in the game’s first 6:25 as he threw for two scores and ran for another. Moffett finished the game with three TD passes and one running score.

Moffett hit Jerry Jeudy on a screen play on the first play from scrimmage that covered 62 yards and gave Deerfield Beach a 7-0 lead. The pair connected again on the next series on a 9-yard scoring play for a 14-0 lead and Moffett drove his team 60 yards in nine plays and capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring run and a 21-0 lead with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter.

Blanche Ely (0-3) was able to trim the lead to 21-6 following a fumble recovery by David Francis on the Bucks’ 25-yard line. Arthur Forrest capped the 5-play drive when he bulled in from three yards out with 8:25 remaining in the second quarter. Francis later added an interception for the host Tigers.

The Bucks closed out the first half scoring with Alton Allen hauling in a 23-yard scoring pass from Moffett on the final play of the first half for a 27-6 advantage.

Jefferson Souza booted a 23-yard field goal to make it 30-6 with 10:54 left in the third quarter and Blanche Ely took the ensuing kickoff and marched 88 yards in 17 plays to trim the lead to 30-12 on a 7-yard scoring pass from Perdue to Jeremy Taylor with 4:54 left in the third quarter.

Less than two minutes later, the lights went out rendering the stadium pitch black and after a 20-minute delay, officials called the contest.

Blanche Ely entered the contest 3-7 lifetime against the visiting Bucks.

Blanche Ely lost the first four meetings and the last three games sandwiched in between three victories from 2009-11. Deerfield won 14-12, 46-6 and 19-0 the past three years. The Tigers won 28-10, 37-0 and 34-16. Deerfield Beach won the first four matchups 36-27 (2004), 28-6 (2006), 20-2 (2007) and 21-14 (2008)

Glenn said the team didn’t go into the game overconfident.

“Nobody is more desperate than us,” Glenn said. “We went 4-6 last year. We are hungry. We will never walk into a game where somebody wants to beat us more than we want to beat them. That’s the mentality of our program.”

Blanche Ely coach Nakia Jenkins had guaranteed a victory before the game. He said the team made some coaching changes during the week, and Jenkins said he took over play calling duties.

“We just had a couple of bad breaks and the kids are ready,” Jenkins said. “We made a couple of coaching changes and I am back to calling plays.”

Jenkins said things hadn’t gone the way he thought they would despite a senior-laden team entering the year.

“Speaking for myself,” Jenkins said. “I think I got away from it. I wasn’t putting both hands in it like I should have. I think my kids started drifting and not focused like they should of. I am the leadership. It starts with me. I think if they see me take it more serious, then they do the same.”

For more information on what the McDougle brothers do in the community, visit their website at http://firstability.org/#first-ability.

By Karen Newcombe

New England Patriots vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, baby! Tonight at 8:30 p.m. football season officially opens at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. This year’s Super Bowl winning Patriots – complete with QB Tom Brady back on board – will come up against the Steelers, who seek to make a statement and beat the best on their own field. Sports bars in every corner of the country have stocked up on wings and beer, and many have had shiny new HDTV screens installed for the season opener.

We all know that most residents of Florida came from somewhere else, so while we may support the Miami Dolphins, many of us also have a first football love that still rules our hometown hearts. Here’s a rundown of where in and around our neighborhoods that you can find your fellow fans, and what specials to expect at that location:

• The Cabin Sports Bar — 154 N. Federal Hwy., Deerfield – Patriots fans, this is your home away from home. The Cabin is in its 15th season this year and has installed new, big-screen TVs just in time for tonight’s game. While all fans of any team are welcome here, the Cabin will be hosting a very Patriotic evening tonight! Bucket Specials throughout football season. 954-428- 6438.

• Bonefish Mac’s — 2002 Sample Rd., Pompano – Steelers fans are rumored to gather at Bonefish, so it should be jam-packed with excited fans tonight! 954- 781-6227.

• Two Georges — 1754 SE 3 Ct., Deerfield Beach – The jumbo screen. What more do you need to hear? Two Georges offers their 10’ X 12’ television for the big game, plus 19 other TVs, and a special football menu available in the bar on Saturdays and Sundays. All fans are welcome. 954-421-9272.

• City Pub — 956 S. Federal Hwy., Deerfield – The City Pub reboot with new owners is going strong, and we’ve heard that they have some special treats lined up for football fans this year. Buffalo Bills fans have found a home at City Pub, but everyone is always welcome. 954-427-8213

• Bru’s Room Deerfield — 120 NE 20 Ave., Deerfield – Dolphins fans, we know you’re welcome everywhere in South Florida, but former Dolphin Bob Brudzinski has made Bru’s Room into a special home for you. You know they’ll have plenty of specials on food and drinks throughout football season. With enough TVs to show every game at the same time, you can stop by early in the week and check the labels on each TV to find out which one will show your game this weekend. 954-420-5959. [Their Coral Springs location (1000 N. University Dr.) caters to Cleveland Browns fans — 954-656-8041].

• Slackers Bar & Grill — 995 W. State Rd. 84, Ft. Lauderdale – Our research indicates that Green Bay Packers fans congregate at Slackers. So do Florida State fans. 954-530-4758.

• Hott Leggz — 3128 N. Federal Hwy., Lighthouse Point – Chicago Bears (and Cubs) fans make their Florida home at Hott Leggz, where they can get traditional Chicago Beef sandwich of roast beef on Italian bread smothered in giardiniera (sautéed Italian peppers). There’s also a TV on every table. 754-307-2444.

• Legends Tavern & Grill — 1391 S. Military Tr., Deerfield Beach – Legends is new and this will be their first football season in Deerfield Beach. They’re offering specials on game weekends including $13 Bud Lite buckets and $2.50 pints on selected beers, as well as All Day Happy Hour on Sundays. Fans from all teams come here. 754-212-2655.

• Packy’s Sports Pub — 4480 N. Federal Hwy., Lighthouse Point – Packy’s has now been under new ownership for a year, and is a gathering spot for Buffalo Bills fans. Packy’s is offering $13 domestic buckets and $18 craft/import buckets.

Enjoy the game tonight, everyone! This is just a sampling of some local football hangouts. Send your gameday fun pictures to observereditor@comcast.net.

By Gary Curreri

With 20 senior players returning from last year’s squad, Blanche Ely football coach Nakia Jenkins believes that his team will fix last year’s late-game woes.

Jenkins, in his second season at the helm of the Tigers football team, said his team has a wealth of experience.

“Last year, we had a lot of talent, but we were young,” said Jenkins, whose team finished 6-4 with three losses in the closing moments of games. “We are returning about 20 seniors this year that played last year so we are really senior heavy this year with a lot of experience. That should be our plus this year. We should know how to finish ball games.”

The Tigers reached the first round of the FHSAA Class 7A state playoffs where it fell to visiting Atlantic, 21-13, in the closing moments, much like two other losses during the season to Miami Northwestern (23-20) and Plantation (31-23).

“Last year, we lost three games in the last minute and a half that we were winning,” Jenkins said. “We should have easily been 9-1 last year instead of 6-4.”

“It still stings,” Jenkins added. “It is going to sting probably until our first regular season game. We have about 15-20 players who contributed last year and helped us out.”

Jenkins will need to get some rapid growth from an inexperienced offensive line; however, they will have three strong running backs to run behind them, including Arthur Forest, Demeterice Bellamy and Robert Williams. Quarterback Zackery Purdue also returns and has talented wide out Thomas Geddis to throw to.

“The offense is going to be loaded,” Jenkins said. “A couple of other wide receivers who are going to help us are Jeremy Taylor and Leonard Williams.”

Defensively, look for senior David Francis to lead the way.

“He’s a leader, captain and three-year starter,” Jenkins said. “He knows where everybody should be.”

Purdue is looking forward to the season.

“This year, I am more confident,” he said. “Last year, I didn’t really read my coverages and go through my progressions. This year, we are loaded with seniors and we are going to be a better team.”

Bellamy, 17, a senior in his fourth year at the school, said he’s excited for the season.

“I have to prove a lot of people wrong,” said the 5-ft., 6-in., 165 lb. running back. “They underestimate me. They say I am too small and not fast enough, and not strong enough. I have been doing two-a-days, and sometimes three times on weekends.”

The 18-year-old Geddis agreed and said the seniors could make the difference.

“We have a lot of guys who are going to go out there and compete and go hard, and are very experienced,” Geddis said. “Being seniors, it makes you want to go harder. Our coach says you only got one game and you have to take every game like it is your last high school game.”

Geddis, who received 18 college offers during the spring, said last year’s tight losses were frustrating and they will look to change that this season.

“You don’t have the time to come back and redo the mistakes you made,” Geddis said. “You have to go 110 (percent) on every play and just know that you are putting everything on the line.”

Jenkins said the team would have to fight through adversity.

“What I am teaching my guys now is football in four quarters,” Jenkins said. “It is not three quarters and we have to finish until the last whistle blows. That is the one thing that we are teaching day in and day out. It is fighting to the last whistle. If we do that this year, we should be in the thick of things this year.”

Bucks hoping for big things

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach High School football coach Jevon Glenn has put together quite the summer program with hopes of returning the school back to prominence.

Glenn has taken the Bucks on a whirlwind tour of college programs, 7-on-7 tournaments and football camps with hopes of winning a state title. Glenn took many of his athletes on two college tours from June 5-15 and hit many big name schools. Former Bucks running back Denard Robinson, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, has been a regular during the offseason.

“I am very excited,” said Glenn, a 1996 graduate of Blanche Ely, where he played football and basketball, and replaced former Bucks coach Allen Jackson in the spring. Jackson resigned in December after four seasons. “We have done a lot of great things in the offseason and we are looking forward to getting started.”

The new Bucks coach will have his work cut out for him as the team is coming off of a 4-6 season in which the Bucks missed the playoffs. It was only the sixth time in school history, dating back to 1974, the Bucks finished with a losing record.

“It’s tradition rich,” said Glenn, who will tackle his first varsity head coaching job after having spent eight seasons coaching Deerfield Beach’s junior varsity squad and holding several positions with the varsity. “There is a good buzz about the program and we made it a priority to keep our kids as Deerfield kids.”

Glenn said during the past couple of years, players left the school to play for other programs – both public and private schools.

“Rather than complain about it, we raised the quality of our program and a lot of those kids came back,” Glenn said. “Many of those kids played in the Deerfield Packer/Rattler youth football program.”

Among those players returning to their roots are two wide receiver transfers from Monarch High School – Cavin Ridley and Jerry Jeudy, in addition to Blanche Ely transfer Teddrick Moffett, a quarterback.

“I think the trips we took created good team chemistry and opened up a lot of eyes with the colleges that these kids can play,” Glenn said. “We believe that we will be better disciplined this year and we can compete for a state championship.”

The Bucks will open the season on Aug. 28 when it hosts Cypress Bay High School.

Four weeks remain at Simply Soccer

There have been record numbers at Simply Soccer camps this summer.

Simply Soccer Camp, which has boys and girls, ages 5-14 of all skill levels, has attracted children from throughout Broward County for its 27th annual summer camp series at Mullins Park in Coral Springs.

The camp, which was featured during a live broadcast by CBS4 the day following the United States’ 5-2 victory over Japan in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, has four weeks remaining beginning Monday. They are: July 27-31; Aug. 3-7; Aug. 10-14 and Aug. 17-21.

There are three sessions ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Tiny Tot program from 9 a.m. to noon. Players will be taught a variety of soccer skills from dribbling to shooting.

It is the longest running soccer camp offered by the city. Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. For information on the Coral Springs camp, call 954-345-2200.

By Gary Curreri

Former National Football League players Henri Crockett and his brother Zachary Crockett returned to their hometown roots this past Saturday and put on their annual football clinic at the Four Fields Complex in Pompano Beach.

Henri Crockett, 40, who played linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings, along with his brother Zachary, 42, a former fullback for the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys, treated nearly 300 local children to football drills and lunches during a USA Football FUNdamentals clinic.

Both men grew up in Pompano Beach, and graduated from Blanche Ely High School, before they both played at Florida State University in their path to the NFL.

The free, one-day clinic is designed to introduce children, ages 6-16, to football by teaching basic skills in a fun and energetic environment and is supported through a grant from the NFL Foundation.

FUNdamentals incorporates a series of drills to teach passing, catching and running skills in a non-contact setting. All skills and drills selected are based on USA Football’s Player Progression Development Model, ensuring children are learning in an age-appropriate manner, based on their cognitive and physical maturity.

The event marked the 10th time that the Crockett Foundation hosted its annual Life Skills & Football Camp in partnership with USA Football FUNdamentals. USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams.

“We took a couple of years off because we were competing with the camps by Clint Sessions and Patrick Peterson,” said Henri Crockett, who lives in Cooper City. “My brother and I had been doing this so long that we just wanted to step back and give the guys that are playing in the NFL now a chance to give back and do their thing.

“The city asked us if we could do one of these this year and it was important for us to do this because they are the future,” Henri said. “It is important for us to come out here and show them that we care. This is really important. They are not all going to make it to the NFL or the NBA and we understand that. That’s why we call this a life skills camp and not just a football camp. We talk to them about life. It is important for them to not only have a back-up plan, but to have a plan.”

Zachary Crockett, of Miami Shores, agreed: “We are teaching them the fundamentals about life skills, telling the kids to stay away from conflict and to be able to get it done in both the classroom and the field.

“You have to have a foundation in everything you do. We took some time off to let the other guys get their camps established and now we are doing things with our reading center. We want kids to know it is going to take more than football to get to the next level. We (Henri and I) had to get it done in the classroom too, and your character is also important. At the end of the day, there is no ‘I’ in team and the game is bigger than you.”

By Gary Curreri

It didn’t take long for Pompano Beach Middle School to flex its muscle in the Broward County Middle School boys’ flag football championship game against Plantation Middle School recently.

Just 10 plays into the game, the Bengals were able to put the game away early as it scored on its first three possessions to take a 20-0 lead. It held off a late charge by Plantation and hung on for a 20-13 win.

Pompano Middle School boys flag football coach Khristopher Ramsey said some players quit the team during the season and the rest remained a “family” and stuck it out.

“The most gratifying thing is to see the kid win in life, so if we can win a championship here, it’s awesome, but I think my coaching job is not complete until I see those kids move on and move forward in their lives,” Ramsey said. “We felt confident. We planned on coming out here today and winning this game.”

The Bengals (9-2) held Plantation on its first drive and scored on its second play from scrimmage on a 16-yard scoring run by Jervon Williams for a 6-0 lead.

Plantation Middle School quarterback Benjamin Hernandez was intercepted on the next play from scrimmage by Jerico Wilson and his 15-yard return set up a 2-yard scoring run by Keven Walker. LaDarius Queen caught the 2-point conversion pass from tournament MVP James Wallace for a 14-0 advantage. Wallace, 15, of Pompano Beach, said winning was important for the players.

“We were looking forward to winning everything,” said Wallace, an eighth-grader. “We just had to play as a team and execute the plays we needed to execute and we would come out with the victory.”

Pompano Beach Middle School stretched the cushion to 20-0 on a 30-yard TD scamper by first-year player Sean Martin, of Pompano Beach, midway through the first quarter.

“I didn’t think we would be playing for the title,” said Martin, 15, of Pompano Beach. He is also an eighth-grader and this was his first year playing flag football. “I knew we had it in us to play for the championship. I wasn’t sure we’d make it all of the way.”

Plantation Middle School (9-2-1) cut the deficit to 20-7 on a 25-yard interception return for a TD by David McFadden and a conversion pass from Hernandez to Daniel Carter. The Patriots cut the lead to 20-13 on a 31-yard scoring toss from Hernandez to McFadden with 1:30 remaining in the game, but could get no closer.

Pompano Beach Middle School won four consecutive county titles in flag football from 2003-06 before the sport was among the sports trimmed by Broward County because of budget cuts.

Martin said the team’s two late losses helped the team focus for the playoffs.

“Losing the last game of the regular season to Crystal Lake was a good lesson,” Martin said. “It showed that winning all of our games didn’t mean nothing. We had to play as a team and not argue with each other and stuff like that.”

Pompano Middle School eighth grader Keavan Walker said teams around the county doubted the Bengals’ ability.

“It is a big opportunity to play for a county championship,” said the Pompano Beach eighth grader. “You have other schools and people think that a school from Pompano couldn’t make it like this, so it is an opportunity for us to have a team and make it here. We learned from the losses. We learned we had to play as a team.”

Walker said the school will put a picture up on the gym wall for winning the county title.

“This is great!” Walker said. “We can take it back to our school. It is a huge accomplishment because they haven’t won this in seven years. Now, we can come back and see our picture up there and everything.”