OAKLEAF - Two Oakleaf area elementary school students returned home a few weeks ago after a whirlwind flag football tournament and brought home the top trophy as competitors in the Unrivaled Flag Football World Championships, held in Orlando the week of February 19 and sponsored by the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars.
Teams were competing from France, China, Mexico with nearly 1,000 teams worldwide.
Discovery Oaks Elementary School students Xochi Bates and Ryleigh Campbell-Scott, also in the same class, were chosen through a Jacksonville Jaguars tryout session to be a part of the 7-Unders Jaguars Elite flag football team that was to compete at the ESPN athletic facilities in Disney World.
"They had tryouts for athletic skill sets; running, catching, passing and our two girls made that team among probably 1,000 kids," said proud dad and coach Joe Bates. "The Jaguars did the tryout in June to get kids from the area to put together the best athletes for the team to compete."
The 7Us Jaguars Elite team won three games of our games on Thursday, February 19 in pool play to advance with scores of 12-0, 12-0 and 13-0 with an 18-7 loss in game two.
On Saturday, February 21, the 7Us won three games; 18-0, 18-6 and 26-6 for the title with a rematch win over the BNU Elite HERricanes team out of Florida that beat them in pool play.
With age ranges from seven years to 18 years, winners for the tournament included teams from Georgia, New Jersey, New York, California, Hawaii, Connecticut and Mexico (three teams).