 Apocalypse Wins Back-to-back State Championships! – In June, 2009, for the second year in a row, Apocalypse sailed through the Florida State Championship Tournament undefeated by beating former state champs, Shut Em Down (SED), for the second year in a row. Playing in Palm Bay, Florida, Apocalypse defeated all comers in hard fought games without its star QB, Brad Corliss. Several players were late for the first game of the tournament and head coach Craig Miller was pressed into service for the first game at wide receiver and middle linebacker. Miller (63) caught one pass for a 15-yard gain before being relieved by a slightly faster and younger player, all-American, Reggie Haugabook. Apocalypse, ranked number one at the end of the FFFL tournament season, defeated SED in the finals of the winners bracket without QB Brad Corliss and while relying on their injured co-QB, Brian Baer at the helm and with John Wassmer at passing halfback. The defense was awesome in this game and Baer was hitting his targets. Corliss showed up in time for the final game with SED who emerged from the losers bracket and fought to a 21-19 SED lead at halftime. The second half was postponed due to lightning and played at Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard High School two weeks later. Corliss and Baer teamed up to win the second half contest going away, winning by two touchdowns. The real credit goes to Tony Walton and his stifling defense who shut-out Shut Em Down in the second half of the State Championship game and was instrumental in winning the overall tournament. This marked the 5th state championship for Corliss who is a nominee for the Florida Flag Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Sunshine State Games State Championships: Adult Flag Football Apocalypse wins State Championship The Apocalypse flag football team, coached by Craig Miller, a former flag football QB for Lawyer’s Title and assistant football coach at Westminster Academy and Calvary Christian Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, went through the A Division bracket undefeated and beat the top-ranked, 2007 State Champions, Value Pawn/Shut Em Down, of Tampa, 35-18, in the championship game to win the Sunshine State Games Adult Flag Football State Championship on Sunday afternoon. Apocalypse finished the season with eight consecutive wins and a 14-3 record. It was reversal of last year's championship game when Shut Em Down upset top-ranked Apocalypse for the title. Derrick “Hollywood” Brown caught two touchdown passes, including one where he tipped the ball forward to himself and streaked in for the score with blazing speed, as Apocalypse built a 20-6 halftime lead. Derrick was voted MVP by his teammates unanimously. Brad Corliss, the only amateur QB to defeat Dan Marino in 4-man flag football, threw two touchdown passes including the final score of the game to Steve Davis. Halfback/Quarterback Brian Baer, former Ft. Lauderdale all-county track star, added a running touchdown and threw one as well. "We were clicking on offense and defense," said Brian Baer, captain and co-quarterback of the Apocalypse Flag Football Team. "We're undefeated in our last two tournaments and it's because we've had our full roster playing. At some of the other tournaments this year, we've had a guy missing here and there. With our full team, we're pretty hard to beat, and our team can put on a “show” they are so fast and athletic. They are actually entertaining to watch." Apocalypse, who entered the tournament ranked third, after three Statewide Ranking Tournaments, beat the former 2006 State Champions, Miami’s “Reloaded,” (formerly COD), 31-19 and then defeated seventh-ranked Xcelligent, of Orlando, 35-18 on Saturday. They returned to the field and defeated the fourth-ranked HORSEMEN, (2004 State Champions) of Orlando on Sunday morning, 45-18 to reach the championship game, where Apocalypse defeated the 2007 State Champs, Shut Em Down.. "Credit must also go to our highly-ranked defense as well," said Head Coach Craig Miller. "They played well all weekend and held all four opponents to three scores or less. The rules favor the offense and “stops” can be hard to get.” Tony Walton is the defensive coordinator. He and several of the defensive players are from the Tampa Bay area. “This was tougher than winning the World Cup (earlier this year) because the Florida teams are the best in the world and they all show up. We have come into the State Championship Tournament ranked number one in Florida, twice before, and we have been upset by lesser-ranked teams. We have been trying to win this for 5 years and we finally did it. This trophy is even more coveted than the World Cup,” said Coach Miller. This makes for three 2008 World Cup titles (4-man, 7-man and 9-man) and one state title (7-man) for Apocalypse so far this year. Next up: USFTL’s National 7-man title. Apocalypse Defeats NFL Stars for Charity Apocalypse also destroyed a team of former NFL Stars at a charitable fund-raiser 5-man flag tournament at the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida this past December. The NFL team included Michael Ervin, Deion Sanders, and Bernie Kosar, among other former NFL greats. Stranger in the Night A few weeks ago a “stranger” showed up to play with Apocalypse in a 4-team/2-game flag football playoff at Brian Piccolo Park near Miami-Dade County. After the mini-tournament the “stranger” was cut from the team due to 4 dropped balls and an offensive interference penalty, and after being caught from behind and de-flagged at the one yard line at the halftime whistle. Despite all the miscues, Apocalypse won the Broward County Championship with a victory over Miami’s Ruff Riders. The name of the stranger? Chad Johnson, the Cincinnati WR holdout and Pro Bowl superstar, considered by most to be the best receiver in the NFL. He was politely told that Apocalypse receivers don’t drop that many passes in a whole year of playing football year-round! He laughed and was very good-natured about it and said he wanted to play with us again, whenever he could. We said “no thanks!” (Just kidding!) See http://www.flasports.com/page_sunshine_flagfootball.shtml for more information on Apocalypse. STATE CHAMPS 2008 Here are the stats for the FSF State Championship in 2008: A Division Winners Bracket 1st Round Rough Riders 26, Elvis Lives 14 Quarterfinal Round Value Pawn/Shut Em Down 36, Rough Riders 14 Semifinal Round HORSEMEN 33, Value Pawn/Shut Em Down 27 Championship Round Apocalypse 45, HORSEMEN 18 GOLD: Apocalypse, Pompano Beach; SILVER: Value Pawn/Shut Em Down, Tampa; BRONZE: HORSEMEN, Orlando Loser's Bracket First Round Rough Riders 7, Just for Fun 0 (forfeit, Just for Fun eliminated) Second Round Bodysnatchers 41, Rough Riders 22 (Rough Riders eliminated) Third Round Bodysnatchers 21, Xcelligent 7 (Xcelligent eliminated) Fourth Round Value Pawn/Shut Em Down 33, Bodysnatchers 28 (Bodysnatchers eliminated) RELATED LINKS: Flag Football Magazine | Florida Sports Foundation | USFTL | Florida Flag Football |
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