The Red Stripe Wolverines moved into first place in the Women’s Division of the Cayman Islands Flag Football Association Premier League after a 12-7 win in week seven over the defending three-time champion HSM Vipers Saturday (17 August) at the Ed Bush Stadium, in West Bay.
In the first half, a promising Wolverines drive was halted when a deep pass down the sideline by quarterback Antoinette Lewis was picked off by Vipers cornerback Kimberely David. In the next series, Vipers quarterback Ericia Burke had her pass picked off by Lewis, now at linebacker, to put the Wolverines first and goal.
In the red zone, Lewis dropped back and found Nikita Saintvil wide open for the score. After a missed convert, they’d lead 6-0.
The Vipers would answer as Burke drove the length of the field before finding David for a 20-yard touchdown. On the conversion, the pivot called her own number taking it to the house for the 7-6 lead.
With time winding down in the game, the Wolverines rank the clock down to last minute before Lewis found Serena Thomas in the end zone to put them up for good.
“We knew we had to beat them,” said captain Tajae Grey. “We decided we had a goal we need to work towards, and our goal was to get this win. We started off slow, but we came together as a team, had a few talks our coaches at halftime. It worked, and we executed.”
After opening the season 0-2 which included a 7-6 week two loss to the Vipers, the Wolverines have reeled off six straight wins. Grey, who has played in the league for ten years and won the women’s title as part of the 2015 Wolverines championship squad, says the women’s title is primed to changes hands this season.
“This season has been different for us,” Grey said. “We decided to work together as a team to ensure we execute as a team. Practice has been going great, and it shows when we go out and play. We needed to continue to work together. We knew if we continued to blend like we are blending, we will win. Last year, we had a lot injuries and we didn’t execute. This year, we know it’s ours and we’re coming for it.”
The Wolverines (6-2) sit tied atop the Women’s Division with the Greenhouse Lynx (6-2) who defeated the Vipers 6-0 to open week eight. The HSM Vipers drop to third overall with a record of 5-2 and a second game Saturday (24 August) versus the fifth place Sharks (1-7) at 5:15 p.m. The Lynx draw the fourth place Jaguars (1-6) at 2:30 p.m.
Panthers widen the lead atop the Men’s Division
The BK Panthers continued to separate themselves from the competition in search of their third straight CIFFA Men’s title in week seven as quarterback Glenn Duran threw for three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth en route to a 27-7 win Saturday over Maples. After a 23-10 week five loss to the Wolves, the Panthers improved to 5-1 and have reeled off two straight wins to hold a command on first place in the division. Maples fell to 2-4 and share third overall with the Hellcats.
“This week was mixed for all the teams,” BK Panthers Jermaine Sharpe said. “We saw a lot of close games and some upsets. We have really seen some teams hit their stride while other have been plagued with injuries and players being away for work or on summer vacations.”
“As these last few weeks wrap up and final seedlings for playoffs become clear, we will see more intense preparations and schemes in order to get that edge, as most of the teams are evenly matched and the talent is spread out across all the teams.”
In the early game, Miller Lite Hellcats (2-4) quarterback Kevin Solomon found receiver Perry Levy for a 50-yard score, while All-Star kicker Joseph Tatum added a second half field goal in a 9-0 win over the Uncle Clem’s Wolves (3-3). On defense, William Peguero, Tito Solomon and rookie Adam Apolinar kept Wolves quarterback Jordan Stubblefield on the run for most of the day with multiple sacks, while DeAndre Simpson halted a promising drive for the Wolves in the first half with an interception.
On Saturday, the Hellcats return to the field versus Maples at 1:00 p.m., while the Wolves face the Panthers at 3:45 p.m.
(Photos: Ericia Burke)
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