MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- It might not be as rough and tough as tackle football, but the excitement is still there when the pre-season Intramural Flag Football Tournament comes around.
The All Stars annihilated Five-O 33-13 and improved its record to 2-0 in an intense 40-minute game here Sept. 23.
The game began with the All Stars progressing quickly, ending the first half 19-7 with touchdowns by Emmanuel Rosario, wide receiver for the All Stars.
"We have the most talent and most speed out of any other team in the tournament," said Timothy J. Ferguson, linebacker for the All Stars. "That really puts us ahead of some of the other teams."
At the beginning of the second half, Five-O had possession of the ball, but the All Stars put up an outstanding defense and forced multiple turnovers during the final half.
During the last 10 minutes of the game, interceptions were made by Ferguson and Nathaniel Rozzele, wide receiver for the All Stars, which both resulted in touchdowns bringing the score to 33-7.
In an attempt to make a comeback, Five-O succeeded in making one more touchdown, but continued to be shut down by the All Stars’ defense and left the game defeated 33-13.
"Our goal is to win the entire tournament without taking a loss and to not let the other team score a touchdown," said Ferguson.
The All Stars plan to gear up for their next game and keep up their undefeated streak, but they weren't afraid to admit that while they did beat Five-O by a pretty big margin they were still given a run for their money.
"They're a good team," said Rosario. "It just wasn't a good night for their offense. Their biggest asset is probably their defense, and we brought our game tonight so it wasn't quite good enough."
For information on the upcoming regular football season, contact the Marine Corps Community Services Athletics Division at 253-6035.