MEDIA CONTEST: 763rd takes big trophy with determination

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ACC MEDIA CONTEST --  In a surprise match-up, the 763rd Maintenance Squadron and 99th Logistics Readiness Squadron found themselves battling it out for the Nellis Intramural Flag Football championship Nov. 16 here -- with the 763rd taking home their first squadron championship in any sport and also the notoriety of being the first 3rd place team going into the playoffs to win it all -- final score 16-10.

The match up between the two talents was a surprise because neither team won their respective league and both had to defeat undefeated teams to make it to the championship game. Both teams shared a 5-2 record for the regular season and pulled it together in the playoffs.

"We had planned for this all year," said Wesley Johnson, 763rd coach. "We got a lot of guys back from TDYs and they just started clicking."

That clicking was obvious during the final game of the season -- but not during their first possession - which ended in a safety for the LRS team -- putting them up early 2-0.

LRS made it all the way to the red zone 5-yard line -- but couldn't capitalize on the efforts which got them to that point.

The 763rd took over and didn't make the same mistake. After a couple easy, short-yard gains, quarterback Mike Gund had a 15-yard run followed by a 15-yard pass to receiver Jeff Branham -- which put them within five. Gund connected again with Branham for six and once again for the two-point conversion -- putting the maintainers up 8-2.

After a 14-yard punt return by Joe Perez, LRS stalled on the next four possessions leaving 763rd with the lead and good field position.

After a couple shuffle passes, 763rd's Gund threw a 20-yard-strike to Stuart Menn to gain 20 yards, putting them on LRS' 19-yard line and a first down. But LRS came back to life with an interception by Jason Morgan in the end zone on the next play.

Again, LRS' offense found them selves unable to capitalize on their good fortune, with a couple incomplete passes and a QB sack. At halftime, the score remained 8-2 for the maintainers.

The halftime pep talk got the logisticians back on track -- the received the kick-off with a 10-yard return by Perez. Then quarterback Ron Sellers threw a deep pass to Brenton Shoemo for a gain of about 50 yards -- putting them within 5-yards of the goal line.

A short pass from Sellers to Arnoldo Valenzuela tied the score 8-8. Sellers connected with Bobby Pantfoeder for the conversion putting LRS back on top 10-8.

On the kick off to the 763rd, Branham had a 10-yard return, followed up by a QB sneak by Gund for another 10-yard gain and first down. Gund then connected with Branham on a 20-yard pass -- putting them within 10. After three attempts and a lot of pressure, Gund took matters into his own hands and ran the ball in for a touchdown. He connected again with his BFF Branham for two more putting them up 10-16.

LRS drew a flag on the punt return -- then Sellers' sneak was stopped quickly by 763rd's Bobby Fly with a one-yard gain. He recovered easily on a sleeping maintainer defense to gain 20 on his next run -- but the LRS quickly went south with a couple incompletes and a pair of sacks by 763rd's Carl Zunker. Just as quickly they recovered, providing awesome pass protection for Sellers, who couldn't find an open man, ran 25-yards for a first down. Another incomplete pass and sack left LRS in do-or-die circumstances with less than a minute of play time.

Then the inevitable happened. The mascot Jolly Green Giant was dismantled by a curious child -- in what looked like it was going to be bad karma, was actually a good omen for the maintainers.

"So far in every playoff game, he's been torn down, and we've won," said one of the players.

He was right, Branham broke up a 4th-down, end-zone attempt by Sellers, and the 763rd took the ball back to run out the clock. The final score was 16-10.

"They capitalized on our weaknesses," said LRS coach David Wilson. "We played a good, competitive team. Our team had a lot of heart."

Heart couldn't carry them over the 763rd's dynamic duo of Gund/Branham.

"We looked at the road we had to travel through these playoffs and decided that we could win it," said Branham. "We stayed focused and kept our eyes on the goal and didn't waver."