FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Screen passes and a series of turnovers put the 597th Maintenance Company over the Black Hawks from B Company, 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment, 36-20, in the opening game of the intramural football playoffs Nov. 29.
After a scoreless first quarter, Black Hawks defensive tackle Trey Lehmen intercepted a pass and gave his team a brief edge. On the next play, 597th safety Greg Booth answered with an interception of his own and set up a touchdown play for wide receiver Jason Clare with only two minutes remaining in the half.
A failed two-point conversion put the score at 6-0, but on the first play of the Black Hawk drive 597th Corner Back Doug Crawford intercepted a pass and ran it back for a TD.
This time the team managed to get in for the two points and put the score at 14-0.
By the end of the half the Black Hawks had only managed one score and missed a two-point conversion while 597th put up one more TD to push its lead out 20-6.
Things didn't get any better for the Black Hawks in the second half. The 597th got the ball at the beginning of the half and made the most of it when quarterback Jeremy Stephan ran in a TD.
Black Hawks kick returner Curtis Bew attempted to get some momentum for his team by returning the kickoff to the 1-yard line. A sack put the Black Hawks back a few yards, but 597th having too many men on the field on the next play put it back in scoring position.
Black Hawks running back T.J. Rose punched through the 597th defensive line for the TD.
A missed two-point conversion put the score at 28-12, with the Black Hawks still trailing.
The 597th pushed another successful series after the kickoff, which ended with Smith's second TD of the night.
Black Hawks wide receiver Rex Lewis answered on the next drive, but time was not on his team's side. Once 597th had the ball back, it ran the clock down.
Stephan, 597th Maint. coach, said the key to his team's win was a combination of strategy and ability to work together.
"We really came together as a team," he said. "We worked well on offense and defense. It stayed solid all the way through. The big turnovers really helped."
He said the team plans to keep playing the same way it always has through the rest of the playoffs.
Black Hawks coach Rose said his team isn't out of the running yet as it moves into the losers bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
"We only had eight players out there and that hurt us, but we weren't really in sync with each other like we should have been," he said. "Next time we've got to have enough players and we're going to make adjustments to what we did tonight."
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