Ridgeland student Jaylen Grays, dropping back to pass at quarterback.
Photo provided by Multimedia Specialist Morgan Bondurant.
On Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Ridgeland Campus held its first intramural flag football event for the Spring 2023 semester. In the fall semester, the newly-founded intramural sports program held a successful flag football event on the Ridgeland Campus. The Ridgeland Campus’ program and its constituents look to replicate its previous success by starting a flag football league. Currently, the program’s administrators hope to hold a full season with playoffs and a championship.
Intramural Sports Coordinator Sidney Kimble and Ridgeland Campus Intramural Sponsor Ryan Beggs resumed their roles for the games. They established rules, officiated the games, and set up the necessary equipment. Teams were allowed to have seven players on the field at once, and the first team to score four touchdowns was declared the winner. The games began at noon on Holmes’ soccer practice field.
At the start of the event, Kimble asked how they wanted to form teams. The students agreed to be selected by team captains, and nominated Garrett Viator and Jaylen Grays to be the opposing captains. Viator and Grays serve the Ridgeland Campus as its Phi Theta Kappa chapter president and chapter vice president, respectively. Once the captains drafted their rosters, Kimble gave teams sets of flags to wear for the game. Viator’s team wore blue flags, while Grays’ team wore red flags.
The red and blue teams, lined up against each other before their next play. Photo provided by Bondurant.
In the first game, the blue team was allowed to take the first possession. For the first half of the game, their offense proved to be efficient, with their defense being the team’s cornerstone. As the defense caused interceptions and turnovers on downs, the offense’s consistent passing game brought the points home. The blue team’s defense was routinely shutting down the red team’s passing game. Because of this, the red team quickly ran out of offensive options. That was until the defense started giving way.
After some turnovers and quick offensive drives, the red team was back in it after a three-point deficit. The score was now 3-2, with the blue team still leading. The blue team’s quarterback room got its head back in the game, and nipped a potential comeback in the bud. Through consistent, short gains and keeping their cool under pressure, the blue team came away with the game-winning touchdown. The blue team emerged victorious from its first game, and was ready for its next challenge.
In the following game, the red team retained some of its key members, such as Grays and Jordan Holly. However, they replaced most of its roster with new players who arrived late. This way, everyone could have to opportunity to play. The red team’s new lineup played better football, and this showed in the blue team’s initial performance. For the first half, both teams were neck-and-neck. However, the blue team’s defense locked down in the second half, giving their offense more favorable field position. Soon after, the blue team sealed their final win with two more passing touchdowns.
The blue team upon winning their second match of the day, along with some members of the red team. Photo captured by Kimble.
The draft pool for this game was chock-full of athletic talent, with several key players from the intramural basketball tournament returning to the fray. Many new players showed up to test their skills on the gridiron, as well. As a result, this diverse mix of players made Tuesday’s flag football games especially interesting to watch. Having new and old faces on the field gave the Ridgeland Campus hope that intramurals would maintain their great popularity in the spring semester.
Overall, today’s event gave Ridgeland students a taste of what Ridgeland’s intramurals could look like in the future. Furthermore, its success also served to generate hype for future intramural games. The Ridgeland Campus’ student body will hopefully continue to benefit from the intramural sports program through forming friendships, practicing teamwork, and living an active lifestyle. According to Holmes’ website, the next flag football event in Ridgeland is slated for Mar. 7 at noon.
Holmes arranges its intramural events through an online app called IMLeagues. Sign up for an IMLeagues account by going to:
https://holmescc.edu/student-life/intramurals/
To read more about the Ridgeland Campus’ intramurals, see the following links:
“A game-by-game breakdown of the Ridgeland basketball playoffs” by Garrett Viator (awaiting link)
“Intramural basketball tips off in Ridgeland” by Garrett Viator
“Intramural sports on the horizon in Ridgeland” by Garrett Viator
