U.S. MEN'S AND WOMEN'S FLAG NATIONAL TEAMS REMAIN UNBEATEN IN SECOND DAY OF GROUP PLAY AT THE WORLD GAMES
U.S. Men’s & Women’s Flag National Teams both enter quarterfinals with 3-0 records in Birmingham, Ala.
The 2022 U.S. Men’s and Women’s Flag Football National Teams continued play on Monday, July 11, on the second and final day of Group play at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Ala. The World Games (July 7-17) feature the 16 best flag football national teams on the globe, marking the first time that flag is part of an international, multi-sport event. The flag football portion of The World Games runs through Thursday, July 14.
U.S. Flag National Teams are built and managed by USA Football, the sport’s national governing body and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. All competing national teams are members of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), comprised of 71 nations across six continents. IFAF is a provisional member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The U.S. Women’s Flag National Team defeated France, 39-13, Monday and will enter quarterfinals play Tuesday as the Group A No. 1 seed against Brazil (0-3) at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET.
The U.S. Men’s Flag National Team defeated Panama, 35-14, and Denmark, 32-7, Monday and now enter quarterfinals play Tuesday as the Group B No. 1 seed against Germany (0-3) at 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET.
Scroll below today’s game recaps to view U.S. Men’s and Women’s Flag National Teams rosters.
The World Games’ flag football schedules, results, and statistics reside at www.twg2022.com/results.
Scoring updates for the U.S. Flag National Teams’ games throughout The World Games are posted on Instagram at @usnft. Media and fans also may follow both U.S. Flag National Teams through July 14 on Twitter at @usnft.com.
Flag games will be livestreamed on CBSSports.com for The World Games’ flag semifinals (Wed., July 13) and Medal Games (Thurs., July 14).
The World Games, supported by the IOC, are held every four years and feature of 30 of the fastest-growing sports in the world. More than 3,500 athletes from approximately 100 countries are in Birmingham this week to compete in the 11-day event (July 7-17).
Monday, July 11
U.S. Women’s Flag, The World Games 2022
United States 39, France 13
Explosive plays and a smothering defense spelled success for the U.S. Women as the Americans ran by France, 39-13, to reach a perfect 3-0 record in their four-team group.
The U.S. Women have earned the Group A No. 1 seed in The World Games’ women’s flag quarterfinals, pitting them against Brazil (0-3) tomorrow in Birmingham’s Legion Field.
Only one week removed from Independence Day, Chicago native and Houston resident CRYSTAL DANIELS provided fireworks for the U.S. offense, hauling in five receptions for a team-high 105 yards and two touchdowns.
The American women held a 13-7 lead midway through the first half when on a critical 3rd and 20 from their own 5-yard line, QB VANITA KROUCH (Carrollton, Texas) launched a rocket across the deep middle to Daniels for a 45-yard catch-and-run TD. The long-distance score, followed by a successful 1-point PAT from the 5-yard-line on a pass from Krouch to ASHLEY WHISONANT (Woodbridge, Va.), put the U.S. ahead 20-7.
“I just listened to my coach and used my speed to my advantage,” said Daniels. “They put us in the spread, threw me the ball, and told me to get jiggy with it and I had to do what I had to do. They were mostly in man (defense) and the way you beat that is by using your speed, so that’s what I did.”
Whisonant scored for the cycle, reaching the French end zone on a 20-yard interception return and a 30-yard reception on a 4th and 5 play along with her PAT catch for another point.
“Everybody on our team is capable of doing what I did,” Whisonant said. “So, it was just my day today.”
The French attempted to frustrate the U.S. defense with a slow-and-steady approach, completing 17 of their first 22 passes and going 23-for-33 passing on the day (69.7 pct.). However, most were within 5-7 yards, inviting the U.S. defense to put on a flag-pulling clinic and display quick-twitch pursuit.
“Our defense was talking the entire time,” added Whisonant. “They were doing a lot of switches, a lot of quick throws – we continued to communicate, so everybody knows where everybody is.”
Krouch connected with JOANN OVERSTREET (Lewisville, Texas) on four completions for 36 yards and a 4-yard TD for the game’s first score along with a fingertip catch for a 1-point PAT. U.S. receiver SHENEIKA ADGER-COMICE (Sun City Center, Fla.) added three receptions for 47 yards, including a 9-yard TD catch for the game’s final points.
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Monday, July 11
U.S. Men’s Flag, The World Games 2022
United States 35, Panama 14
Trailing 14-13 at halftime to Panama, the U.S. Men’s Flag National Team revved its engine and iced a hot Panama offense to pull away for a convincing 35-14 victory.
U.S. quarterback DARRELL “HOUSH” DOUCETTE (New Orleans, La.) led the team to three second half TDs on as many possessions while team co-captain and defensive back FRANKIE SOLOMON (Dallas, Texas) posted two second-half interceptions. Panama’s other two second half drives were stopped by a turnover on downs at its own 9-yard line and by the game clock as it hit triple-zero with the ball at midfield.
Panama led 14-13 with 50 seconds remaining in the first half when American defensive back JORDAN OQUENDO (Spring Hill, Fla.) made a critical play with blazing closing speed to bat away a soaring 34-yard pass in the U.S. end zone just before it would have landed in the arms of a Panama receiver. Without Oquendo’s TD-saving swat, the U.S. would have found itself down by at least seven points at the half.
“When we played Panama in Israel (at the 2021 IFAF Flag World Championships), they tried the same play on a 3rd-and-long in 1-on-1 coverage,” Oquendo said. “They like to run short slants to the sideline all game and then go slant-to-the-sideline and up. They tried that, I baited it, and was able to come up with a pass break up.”
Doucette was an efficient 11-of-16 passing with four TDs while rushing for another TD on an electrifying 36-yard run with 13:30 remaining in the game, evading a forest of Panama defenders to give the Americans a 19-14 lead that they would not relinquish. The lightning-fast dual-threat QB rushed twice – both in the second half – for 56 yards and ran for a successful 2-point PAT from the 10-yard line.
U.S. co-captain and wide receiver BRUCE MAPP (Carrollton, Texas) caught two of Doucette’s TD passes, joining fellow receivers JOHNNY REMBERT (Miami, Fla.) and DEZMIN LEWIS (Melissa, Texas) who notched one TD apiece.
Doucette emphasized the U.S. team’s belief in each other to remain calm and regroup in the face of a deficit. “It’s just trusting in each other,” he said. “We don’t hold our head down, we believe in each other to make plays no matter which side of the ball you play on.”
United States 32, Denmark 7
The U.S. Men didn’t go shopping Monday night, but they found a “Price” they liked as center/receiver DAVID PRICE (Baldwin, Fla.) continually found the soft spot in Denmark’s defense to notch seven receptions for 76 yards and a TD in a 32-7 win to close Group play. The U.S. Men (3-0) will face Germany (0-3) in The World Games’ flag football quarterfinals Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT/6 p.m. ET.
Price, often the U.S. center – an eligible position in flag – found the ball coming his way more than usual.
“We just played according to what Denmark was doing defensively,” Price said. “We took what they gave us and they gave us everything underneath, so we kept going to it. We noticed they were in a ‘2-2’ where they were playing two DBs away to the sideline and two back, and it left the middle open, so we started attacking it.”
Denmark’s offensive strategy of short routes and milking the clock produced everything they wanted except points. The Danes assembled four drives of at least 6 plays, with 8 plays being the most possible in a single flag football possession. Three Denmark drives stalled at the U.S. 8-yard line or closer to the end zone, with another running out of gas on the U.S. 18.
“They did a lot of quick out routes, so that’s going to create longer drives,” said U.S. co-captain and defensive back FRANKIE SOLOMON (Dallas, Texas). “But when they got into the red zone, we just played a bend-don’t-break kind of defense and we were able to tighten down and cut a lot of those throws off.”
Meanwhile, the Americans scored on their first five possessions, jumping to 20-0 lead before Denmark posted its lone TD of the game for a 20-7 halftime score.
As the U.S. Men did Sunday night against France, the Americans again rolled out its dual QB attack of DARRELL “HOUSH” DOUCETTE (New Orleans, La.) and LADERRICK “PABLO” SMITH (Pompano Beach, Fla.). Doucette was of 9-of-12 passing for 114 yards and 2 TDs, adding an 11-yard TD catch from Smith and a 10-yard TD run that opened the game’s scoring at 6-0 with 16:41 left in the first half. Smith was 7-of-11 passing for 82 yards and a TD to go with 40 rushing yards on two carries, including a 22-yard scamper where he juked a Danish rusher and bolted down the sideline without being touched.
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2022 U.S. Women’s Flag National Team Roster
Jersey #; Player Name; Position; Height; Weight; Age; City of Residence
No. 1; Joann Overstreet; WR/DB; 5’5”; 130; 39; Lewisville, Texas
No. 2; Mariah Gearhart; Rusher/WR; 5’8”; 130; 33; Orlando, Florida
No. 4; Vanita Krouch; QB; 5’5”; 143; 42; Carrollton, Texas
No. 6; Sheneika Adger-Comice; WR/DB; 5’8”; 160; 34; Sun City Center, Florida
No. 8; Nadia Bibbs; WR/DB; 5’7”; 134; 37; Houston, Texas
No. 12; Ashley Whisonant; WR/DB; 5’6”; 150; 25; Woodbridge, Virginia
No. 13; Deliah Autry; WR/DB; 5’5”; 130; 27; Tampa, Florida
No. 14; Mary Kate Bula; DB/Rusher; 5’4”; 125; 28; Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 15; Ayanna Pate ; WR/DB; 5’4”; 150; 29; Riverview, Florida
No. 16; Michelle Roque; WR/QB; 5’4”; 120; 28; Pompano Beach, Florida
No. 27; Crystal Winter; Rusher; 5’3”; 130; 38; Delray Beach, Florida
No. 69; Crystal Daniels; WR/DB; 5’5”; 140; 30; Houston, Texas
Head Coach: Chris Lankford; Dallas, Texas
2022 U.S. Men’s Flag National Team Roster
Jersey #; Player Name; Position; Height; Weight; Age; City of Residence
No. 1; Bruce Mapp; WR/DB; 6’1”; 220; 28; Carrollton, Texas
No. 2; Johnny Rembert; WR/DB; 5’11”; 198; 26; Miami, Florida
No. 3; Jordan Oquendo; DB/WR; 5’10”; 145; 29; Spring Hill, Florida
No. 4; Laval Davis; WR; 5’11”; 185; 29; San Antonio, Texas
No. 5; Dezmin Lewis; WR; 6’4”; 225; 29; Melissa, Texas
No. 7; Darrell Doucette; QB; 5’7”; 140; 32; New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 11; Aamir Brown; WR/DB; 5’9”; 175; 25; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. 14; Laderrick “Pablo” Smith; WR/Rusher; 5’10; 155; 25; Pompano Beach, Florida
No. 15; Frankie Solomon; DB/WR; 5’10; 205; 35; Dallas, Texas
No. 21; James Calhoun; DB/WR; 5’11”; 200; 33; Hemet, California
No. 22; David Price; DB/WR; 6’0”; 215; 30; Baldwin, Florida
No. 24; Geoffrey Bryan; Rusher/C; 5’7”; 155; 35; Opa Locka, Florida
Head Coach: Jorge Cascudo; Miami, Florida
Assistant Coach: Patrick Alley; Richardson, Texas
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