Football on the Mexican Beach, Who Knew?
A 50 Yard Hail Mary Pass with 1 Second to Go Crowns Ensenada State Champions!
This weekend, the Ensenada Flag Football league hosted the Baja California State Flag Football Championship. Held at Ciudad Deportiva (Sport’s City), 6 of the best teams in Baja competed for the honor to represent the state of Baja California at the National Championships to be held in October. Teams from Tijuana, Mexicali and Ensenada competed over a 2 day tournament.
In the final game to determine the State Champ, the Mexicali Chiles played the Ensenada Players. Both teams won 3 games and lost 1 during tournament play to win a spot in the final.
Under the lights, the The Ensenada Players emerged as State Champions in a hard fought brutal battle of two relentless and stubborn teams who would not yield. For the first 6 possessions of the game, the teams could not move the ball against defenses that were holding their ground. In the trenches, the teams dug in for what would end up a massive stalemate that would go down to a final play of the game.
Mexicali Chiles led by former NFL Denver Bronco practice squad player Manuel Padilla stuff the fast team from Ensenada with their swift playmaking and with an tremendous rush causing Ensenada Quarterback Rogelio Gonzalez to throw into a defense line who block a hard pass causing a interception return for 35 yards putting the Chiles into the red zone, primed to score.
A few plays later, the Chiles scored the first touchdown on a hook pass into the corner of the end zone converting the 2 point conversion for an 8 to 0 lead going into halftime.
But the enthusiastic and fired up Ensenada Players were not to be denied.
Coming out of for the 2nd half, the Ensenada defence caused a safefy for a 2 point score putting the team from Mexicali on notice that they were not going down without a fight.
On the very next possession, Ensenada Quarterback Rogelio Gonzalez threw a 10 yard pass to # 10 Francisco Alcantar who ran for 30 more yards juking his way into the end zone for 6 poins. The extra point was stuffed and the score was tied 8 – 8.
Both teams hunkered down and traded possessions, each team stuffing the other setting up an game ender that would prove to be the strike heard round Baja California.
Getting the ball with 34 seconds left in the game on their own 35 yard line, Ensenada gained 15 yards to the 50 yard line on a screen pass to get them to 10 8 second mark of the game. On the next play, Ensenada sent Alcantar deep in the right corner of the end zone covered by 2 Mexicali players. QB Gonzalez avoided a heated rush rolled out to the right and threw the ball 50 yards into the corner. With Alcantar falling, he caught the ball as 2 Mexicali players fell over him. Referee’s were there on the spot to make the call. Touchdown with 1 second left on the clock with the hometown crowd screamin.
After a meeting, the referee’s confirmed the call and the Ensenada Players were crowned Champions.
After the game, each team shook hands as the battle royal deserved respect. Ensenada League President Daniel Hernandez presented the State Championsip trophy and the MVP award to Francisco Alcantar.
The flag football leagues in Baja California are varied featuring some excellent play and players. Manual Padilla from the Mexicali team who was recently on the practice squad for the NFL Denver Broncos along with many ex-players from Mexico’s College Football system are representative of the level of play featured this weekend at the tournament.
Olaf Gutierrez, a team leader from the Tijuana Oso’s told Baja Wine that Tijuana has 2 divisions; a 1st Division with 10 teams that features the very best players and a 2nd Division featuring intermeidiate and up and coming farm players. Our league is over 15 years old and over time, we’ve developed some excellent players.
In Enseanda, the leaque is 6 years old and developing. With 15 teams in the upcoming league starting at the end of August, the city has build a grand stadium for the league complete with artifical turf, yard markers, and lights for prime time play at night.
In Baja, there is Football…..it’s an amazing place of great food, spirits, good people and life on the gridiron.
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