The Charges (1-3) and the Bengals (1-2) entered their week four of the JCC of Bayonne’s Indoor Flag Football Sr. Division bout statistically mirrored images of each other offensively and defensively. The game stayed true to form as both teams went toe-to-toe from start to finish. The Bengals struck first as Michael Dopazo raced 22 yards for a TD followed by Anthony Minotto sweeping in for a two-point conversion. The Chargers cut the Bengals’ lead to 806 when Jaime Betancur hauled in a TD strike from QB Janaaron Aquino. Early on, Jaime Betancur also showed off his defensive skills by picking off a Bengals’ pass at the Chargers’ five-yard mark.
With the ball deep in their own zone, the Bengals went wire-to-wire when QB Drew Radil unleashed a howitzer shot to Michael Dopazo for a TD, followed by a Dopazo option run for two-points, making it 16-6, Bengals. Looking to catch the Bengals’ defense off-guard, the Chargers picked up 30 yards on two straight dive runs by Jan Patrick Egan and Ashley Solis. The Chargers then cashed in with play action and a TD pass drilled to Malachi Smith to cut the Bengals’ lead to 16-12. After a strong defensive stand by the Chargers, their offense set their sights on tying the game, but the Bengals’ Michael Dopazo out-battled two Chargers’ receivers to come up with a huge interception. With the ball back, the Chargers quickly stretched their lead to 24-12 when Anthony Minotto rocketed full court for a TD and then capped off the drive with Jared Radil’s two-point grab. Down by 12, the Chargers fought back as Malachi Smith zipped coast-to-coast for his second TD, making it 24-18, Bengals.
Things got really heated when the Chargers’ defense put two more points on the board by forcing a safety, cutting the Chargers’ lead to 24-20. After yet another great defensive stand, the Chargers’ offense was back in business until the Bengals’ Michael Dopazo picked off his second pass. The Bengals made the most of the turnover as Anthony Minotto sealed the deal with a goal-to-goal TD gallop for a 30-20 Bengals’ victory. Eric Rivadeneira and Natalleyah Teixeira put in great efforts on defense for the Bengals.