Adult flag football team wins national title

An adult flag football team from the Valley made history and a little extra cash last weekend by winning a national tournament in New Mexico.

The Penguins have been building toward a national tournament title for eight years, traveling the country to compete in numerous tournaments. Last summer, at the Hike It Spike It tournament in Roswell, N.M., the squad burst on the scene to finish fourth.

But last weekend, the Penguins earned more than respect – they won the whole thing. In addition to being the team’s first national championship, it was the first time a team from the Midwest on the crown. The championship came with a check for $10,000.

“What our Penguin team has accomplished has never been done before,” said Elliott Giles, who put the team together. “No team outside the state of Florida has ever won this tournament or any national tournament for that matter. In the semifinals, the Penguins knocked off the seven-time Roswell champions, Goose Crew from Miami, Fla. Entering the tournament, they hadn’t lost a game in eight years.

The Penguin squad is comprised of players from all over the Valley. Members include Giles (Boardman), Frank Ocasio (Boardman), Jason Moore (Chaney), Matt Lobaugh (Chaney), Jeff Kotel (Austintown Fitch), T.J. Parker (Austintown Fitch) and John Burd (Austintown Fitch).

The Penguins defeated the top three teams in the country en route to the title. That group included last year’s champion, the Goose Crew from Miami, Fla.; USFTL’s national champion, Get Off Me from Jacksonville, Fla.; and Blackout from Dallas.

“This is the biggest flag football tournament event in the country with more than 300 teams in 20 divisions,” explained Giles. “It happens once a year and all the best teams come to play for the $10,000. The tournament supports the entire city of Roswell and generates over $4 million to the community in many different ways.

“This is so important for the future of flag football because for the longest time everyone was starting to believe that no one would ever upset the Florida teams. They were unbeatable for so many years in every national tournament. What this did was give everyone outside the state of Florida hope.”