The Bears (6-3-1) have been red-hot the past few weeks as they clawed their way toward the top spot in the Jewish Community Center of Bayonne’s Indoor Flag Football Junior Division. Standing in their path was the Colts (7-2-1), who had led the pack right from week one. The showdown started with the Colts’ Michael Tedesco dashing 35 yards to paydirt, followed by a two-point catch via the pinpoint arm of QB Christopher Ballance for an 8-0 lead.
Moments later, the Bears stormed the endzone as Matt Miceli zipped in for a 20-yard TD gallop, making it 8-6, Colts. After two 10-yard runs by Da’Mien Taylor and Nate Cintron, the Colts stretched their lead to 14-6 as Michael Tedesco went full throttle to record his second TD of the game. With halftime approaching, the Bears’ fiery play-maker Matt Miceli rumbled 30 yards for his second TD, followed by Drew Radil’s game-tying two-point blast.
The Colts’ defense got a huge boost when Christopher Ballance picked off a Bears’ pass at half-court, but the Bears’ defense wouldn’t allow them to cash in with a score. After pounding the ball on the ground for most of the game, the Bears finally went to the air as QB Drew Radil hit speedster Alejandro “See Ya” Cifuentes on a 40-yard TD dart. Radil then made it 22-14 by connecting with Victor Mendolaro for a two-point conversion.
Down by eight, the Colts went to their workhorse Michael Tedesco, who turned a screen pass into six points as Tedesco also notched his league-leading 178 points scored. With their lead cut to two points, the Bears’ Ryan Griffin bulled the ball up-court for a key first down. Three plays later, the Bears’ running game struck again as Drew Radil powered in from six yards out. Only up by eight, the Bears needed a two-point play to ice the win. Rookie sensation Victor Mendolaro was ready and waiting as he broke free and hauled in the game-clinching pass as the Bears moved into a first-place tie by defeating the Colts, 30-20.
The Players of the Week were: Offensive Player of the Week – Matt Miceli, Bears, Drew Radil, Bears; Defensive Player of the Week – Christopher Ballance, Colts; Teamwork/Leadership Player of the Week – Alejandro Cifuentes, Bears.