»Rosemont Flag Football
By Alex DUPLESSIS

The Rosemont Spartans flag football team took to the field to face Roosevelt Middle School on May 2, looking to extend its hot streak on a day when the heat reached into the mid-90s – and they did just that with a 12-6 victory over the Rough Riders.

With the victory over Roosevelt (2-3), Rosemont has clinched the top spot in its league with a record of 4-1 on the season.

Roosevelt looked out of sorts from the game’s onset. The first two plays resulted in a fumbled snap (which is a loss of down in flag football), a sack and a holding penalty. Facing a third and long, Roosevelt QB Carlos Herrera tossed a desperation pass into coverage that was intercepted by Alex Stepanian.

The Spartans capitalized off the turnover just a few plays later with a long catch-and-run hook-up from quarterback Tyler Hill to receiver Monte Kesheshian. Rosemont held a 6-0 lead following a failed conversion attempt and that’s where the score remained heading into halftime as neither team was able to string together another scoring drive.

After a couple of three-and-outs by both squads to start the second half, Hill again looked downfield and connected with his favorite target, Kesheshian, for another long TD toss. With a 12-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter, Rosemont seemed to have the game all locked up, but that wouldn’t stop Herrera and company from trying to mount a comeback.

The Rough Riders kicked off the fourth quarter with a long TD drive highlighted by numerous long third-down conversions and an impressive display of elusiveness from quarterback Carlos Herrera. With the score, the Rough Riders found themselves only six points away from a tie game.

Following a Rosemont three-and-out on the ensuing drive, Herrera drove the Rough Riders all the way down inside Rosemont’s 20-yard line with mere seconds left in the game. But that’s as close as they’d get as Rosemont’s defense snuffed any hopes of a comeback with two consecutive sacks.

Last season, there was a postseason game that decided which middle school had the best team. This season, if Rosemont wins its final game Head Coach James Mustain doesn’t feel like there is need for a postseason decision maker.

“With a win this week, that would make us 5-1, another team 3-3, and two other teams 2-4,” said Mustain. “Based on that scenario… I would hope that we’d be done… but I’m not sure what the other coaches would want to do in that case.”

One thing is for sure: through five games the Spartans have definitely shown their mettle.

“They continue to learn and we don’t have to coach effort,” said Mustain. “[We’re] very proud of this group and the strides they have taken to be their best.”

Rosemont will play their last scheduled game against Toll Middle School today at 3:30 p.m. at Rosemont.

  Alex DUPLESSIS, Jason BALLARD