Running Rebels Run Away to Tip-Off
Classic Title

Jacoby Key's Performance earns him the Tournament  MVP Award

     (Laurel Hills) - The Triangle Basketball Association (TBA) tipped off its inaugural season - The Inauguration - on July 25th, with the league's first ever Pre-Season Tip-Off Classic Tournament.  The TBA is MOC Sports first venture into basketball and the League shows promise to be as popular as its cousins the Triangle Area Flag Football League (TAFFL) and TAFFL Coed. 

     In preparation for the start of the regular season on August 6th, the 12-team bracket and seedings were determined at random, although missing were three teams in the B-Town Ballers, Food Lions, and the Red Terror.  However, that would not take away from the  non-stop action and great basketball the League would witness on the night. 

     In Game 1 of the tourney, the Pack led by Captain Adam Wojtkowski would hand the Backcourt Bulldogs a 19-12 loss to end their night early and advance to the second round.  Next, the Kevin Houston led Rameses would take Devin Harris' Mavericks to the edge, but would come up short 17-18.  The Running Rebels would advance due to a Red Terror no-show. 

     Round 2 would watch a preseason favorite in team Dazz fall to the Pack 17-19, while Jacob Smith's team Corrosive, who had a first round bye would advance because of both the Ballers and Food Lions not participating.  The Mavericks after an impressive first round win would fall to Travis Wells and his Boyz 14-15 as the twelve minute time period expired.  The Running Rebels coached by DeFonte Coleman would annihilate the Richard Hubbard led Gauchos by the score of 19-14 and that was just the beginning of the Rebels dominance of the night. 

     The Final Four would be set with The Pack taking on Corrosive, who would finally get a chance to play after sitting for seven games.  Da Boyz would be set on a crash course with the Running Rebels in the teams' semifinal matchup.  As they had done in each of their first two contests, The Pack would continue to impress by handing Corrosive a 16-11 defeat at the end of twelve minutes and the Rebels would reach 18 points on Da Boyz holding the team to only 10 points.  This would set-up the Running Rebels to play The Pack in the Championship game. 

     In the Championship Game Jacoby Key would prove to be too much too handle for The Pack, as Key would drop 9 pts., going 4-for-4 from the field and shooting 100% (1-for-1) from the free throw line. Key would also dominate the boards with five rebounds and his performance would help lead the Rebels to a 19-10 win and the Pre-Season title.  For a team that was red-hot the entire tourney, The Pack could not find the scoring it needed, when it needed it the most.

     Key was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player and the Rebels center would

SEE CLASSIC, PAGE 2

Kids learn invaluable football lessons, at the cost of FREE

Former Tarheel Safety Defonte Coleman (L) and teammate and Ex-NFL Linebacker Quincy Monk (R) work with camper Timothy Douthit, Jr., 8, of Garner, during the TAFFL Youth Combine held at Marsh Creek Park.

Kids show great enthusiasm during one-day camp

     (Marsh Creek) - The weather on Saturday, July 26th could not have been more perfect for the MOC Sports organization, and its flag football arm, the Triangle Area Flag Football League (TAFFL), who on this day sponsored their newly created annual TAFFL Youth Football Combine.

     "Because of the positive impact we feel this event will have on the participants, the weather could not have be more divine," organizer and MOC Sports President & CEO Marcus Cole said during the event.

      The TAFFL Youth Combine which was free for youths ages 8 and up, featured former collegiate an professional players, living locally, as coaches who would lead the participant's in learning each football position and that position's importance to a football team.    Campers were broken into several groups and for approximately twenty minutes per group would focus on a particular position learning tips, skills, and strategies to be successful at playing that position.  After twenty minutes, campers would take breaks to cool down and rehydrate preparing to rotate into the next group to learn and practice the next position. 

Campers participate in a Quarterback drill during Saturday's
TAFFL Youth Combine.

     Former UNC-Chapel Hill and Ex-NFL Linebacker Quincy Monk, would team with Safety Defonte Coleman, also a Tarheel Alum, to work with linebackers, safeties, and  running backs.  Quarterbacks, wide receivers, and cornerbacks would gain valuable insight from former 2001 All-ACC cornerback and Tarheel Errol Hood, along with All-American receiver Tim Dumas of Lycoming College and Arena Football fame, and current Green Hope High School quarterbacks and kickers coach and former North Carolina Central University Eagles placekicker Kevin Houston would work with quarterbacks.  Offensive and defensive linemen were afforded the treat of learning from former Duke Blue Devil defensive end standout Orlando Adwaters and female tackle footballer Nicole Thibodeaux.     

SEE COMBINE, PAGE 2

Heat Crowned TAFFL
Pick-6 V Champs

Defeat Thunder 14-13 in
Double Overtime

     (Biltmore Hills) -  The #2-seeded Heat would take on the #1-seeded Thunder in the Pick-6 V Flag Football Tournament Championship game held on Sunday, July 27^th, 2008 at Biltmore Hills Community Park.  It would take two overtimes to determine the winner, but in the end, it was the Heat who would take home the hardware and the cash with a 14-13 victory over the Thunder. 

     It would take most of the first half before the Thunder, at the 14:27 mark would add points to the scoreboard when QB Ryan Borowitz would connect with wide receiver Traquan Nelson for the 7-0 lead. 

     Neither team would score again the remainder of the first half and not until with 1:05 left in the game, the Heat QB, Alex Brooks would finally find a wide open Jonathan McDougald to tie the game at 7-7.  With under a minute remaining in the game and possession of the ball, the Heat were unable to steal the victory and would stall on their drive and the teams would subsequently enter into overtime.

     Both the Thunder and the Heat teams would fail to score on their first overtime possessions with both drives ending in turnovers.  On their second overtime possession, the Heat would manage to take the 14-7 lead when a rushing Brooks would lateral to Jonathan McDougald on the sideline and he would tiptoe into the endzone. 

     With the pressure on and the game on the line, it would be up to Borowitz and the Thunder offense to make amends for the defense and stay in the game.  However, the offense would stall, and it would come down to a spectacular fourth down touchdown catch by veteran Andre Berry that would give the Thunder one last breath and a chance at the tie (or win). 

     Not wanting to settle for the tie, the Thunder would go for the win and Borowitz would look in the direction of WR Steve Sherode for the winning points.  A pass by Borowitz would hit Sherode in the hands and what looked to be the winning catch, would be knocked away by a converging Chris Brandon that would secure the win and the Championship for the Heat.

HEAT Players (L-R) J. McDougald, C. Brandon, J. Thomas, K. Dunn, M. Gibson, J. Branch, A. Brooks

SEE PICK-6, PAGE 2

A Coed Championship...A Perfect Ending To A Perfect Season (9-0)

Gobblers All-In Against Royal Flush in the 32-20 Victory

     (Biltmore Hills) - For Captain Kevin Houston, it was the only accolade left, that him or anyone else on his Gobblers team for that matter could win in the Triangle Area Flag Football League's Coed inaugural season.  Houston had already secured the League's Most Valuable Player award leading his team to an undefeated regular season record (6-0), while securing a passing and rushing title, and was teammates of the league's No. 1 male receiver in Marcus Brown, and the Leagues No. 1 female receiver and League Female MVP in Renee Wilkerson.  So for Houston and his Gobblers, what better award to go with the long list of other awards and accomplishments the team had earned, than a TAFFL Coed Cup Championship trophy.  However, the team would have to face the Conference East giant, Royal Flush, in the first TAFFL Coed Cup Championship, to lay claim to the hardware.

     The Royal Flush led by Captain and QB Marcus Cole, still looking for his first ever TAFFL title, proved to be the best team in the East as they would finish as the Conference East regular season champions with a record of 5-1.  The team's only blemish coming to West opponent team Dazz  in week 4.  Cole who finished second behind Houston in passing and fourth in rushing were determined to be the Giants of the NFL and put an end to the unbeaten streak of the Patriots equivalent Gobblers, but on this day, the Gobblers would rewrite the way 'it should have been' and defeat the Flush 32-20.

     Looked to be a shootout in the making...

It wouldn't take long for the fireworks to get started.  Kevin Houston on the Gobbler's first possession would show why he was the League's first rushing champion, when great pass defense by the Flush would force the QB to take to his legs and he would race almost the entire length of the field for the early touchdown and a 6-0 lead, at the 1:50 mark.  However, Cole would respond, and on the Flush's first play from scrimmage, would elude the blitzing Greg Lyons by rushing through a hole in the line and after getting past the second level linebackers would only have safety Defonte Coleman between him and the endzone.  Coleman would force Cole out of bounds before getting into the endzone, but on the next play, Cole would connect with wide receiver Kiera Peoples and a successful 2-pt conversion would see the Flush take the 8-6 lead.  It looked to be a shootout in the making, as both teams would score on their opening possessions and score fast. 

SEE COED, PAGE 3

©2003- 2008    MOC SPORTS, L.L.C.   ALL RIGHTS RESERVED