Wave that flag: Tega Cay 12U team learns on the fly to win Battle Carolinas
When football is mentioned in this part of South Carolina, many minds turn to the Friday night lights of high school action. There is another group of gridiron champions in York County, however, and they won their crown while most of the high schoolers in whose footsteps they hope to someday follow were out of school.
A group of Tega Cay flag football players coming off three straight summer Tega Cay Recreation League championships wasn’t sure it would be able to play this summer, due to some of the players advancing past the league’s age limit. The mother of one of the players in the league found a solution.
That, says coach Stump Eppes, was Battle Carolina, a July tournament organized and run by National Flag Football as part of the Flag Football World Championship Tour. The 12U team that had become accustomed to winning faced unfamiliar circumstances in its latest challenge, though.
“We had no idea what to expect. We just wanted to play some football,” Eppes said.
“The format was totally different than anything we had played in (the Tega Cay Recreation League),” said Eppes, who coaches the group and is the assistant principal at Gold Hill Middle School. “The tournament was 5-on-5 instead of 7-on-7, which we had played in the past. There were many different rules and variations that caused us to change the way we ran some things, but the boys were able to adapt beautifully.”
The team’s ability to adapt was a key factor once it hit the field.
“We were only able to practice three or four times before the tournament,” said Eppes.
The lack of practice time seemed to have little effect on the players. The team, nicknamed the Yellow Jackets — just like Fort Mill High School’s teams — won its first three games in pool play, then advanced to the single-elimination portion of the tournament. Three more victories followed, and the group of Tega Cay youngsters again claimed a championship.
“It was exciting to see, and made me a proud parent and coach,” said Eppes, who also has a son on the team.
“It was neat to see eight kids from three different middle schools come together, play together, and fight for one common goal. I was proud of their play on the field, and their actions off of the field. They showed character and good sportsmanship throughout the whole tournament, regardless (of whether) the game was tight or a blowout. I was truly proud!”
The lack of preparation time afforded the team also showed in another unusual area — its uniforms.
“We were playing teams with home and away uniforms with matching shorts, while we were wearing very cool Yellow Jacket gear that (Fort Mill High School) was nice enough to loan us,” said Eppes.
The Yellow Jackets outscored their tournament opponents, 105-19, winning an event showcasing teams from the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida.
The group will get another chance to showcase its talents in just a few months. The Battle Carolina victory earned the junior Jackets a spot in the Battle Orlando National Championship in Orlando, Fla. The tournament will take place Jan. 19-20, 2019. That tournament will again feature a three-game pool play setup, followed by a single-elimination bracket.
“The team is planning to go and represent Fort Mill to the best of their ability!,” said Eppes.
The team’s players are McGuire Adams, Tillman Chrisley, Jackson Eppes, Zakkai Holmes, Rocket Ritarita, Rion Seekings, Preston Shivel, and Gabe Tooper. Head coach Stump Eppes is joined by assistants Toby Chrisley and Thomas Chrisley.