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The Howard County Wildcats Flag Football team struck gold this past weekend at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver (EKS) State Games, held at Grand Park in Westfield. The event brought together more than 1,500 athletes competing in flag football, cornhole, and track events.
The Wildcats (4-1) punched their ticket to the championship after a thrilling 30-26 victory over Hamilton County in their morning matchup. Adam Thatcher powered the offense with two touchdowns to secure the win.
In the gold medal game, Howard County squared off against a familiar foe—the St. Joseph County Irish. Earlier this summer, the Wildcats had fallen to the Irish, 32-15, in a qualifying contest.
“We knew we could compete with St. Joe County,” said head coach Steve Geiselman. “That first meeting this year was fresh in our memory.”
The championship lived up to the hype. The teams traded scores throughout the first half, and with less than a minute left, the game was tied at 24. St. Joseph struck quickly, scoring in two plays, but missed the extra point. That left Howard County just 25 seconds to answer.
Quarterback Chris Miller guided a short drive before delivering a last-second strike to Ian Cawood in the back of the end zone to tie the game at 30 and force overtime.
In the extra session, each team had two chances from midfield to gain positive yardage. The Irish won the toss and deferred, giving Howard County the ball first. A penalty against St. Joseph pushed the Wildcats forward, and Miller once again connected with Cawood for the go-ahead score.
The Irish had one final chance, but a would-be touchdown catch in the end zone was ruled out of bounds, sealing a dramatic 42-36 victory and the gold medal for Howard County.
The Howard County Wildcats roster includes: Chuck McKinney, Terry Fields, Robert Miller, Craig Simmons, Adam Thatcher, Chris Miller, Raymond Pattengale, Barak Price, Eli Alexander, and Ian Cawood. The coaching staff includes Steve Geiselman, Robert Weaver, and Mike Geiselman.