Semoball

Bengals, Chargers win 2022 Lincoln League Flag Football Championship

Area youngsters compete during the 2022 Lincoln League Flag Football Championships on Sunday, April 23, at Sikeston High School. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Byrd)

SIKESTON — It was all about having fun as local youth developed a love for the game of football at the Lincoln League Flag Football Championship on Sunday, April 24, at Sikeston High School.

The Lincoln League was established in 2017 during the annual Return to Sunset at Lincoln Memorial Park and each year the league has grown into a more competitive and diverse league, now serving over 100 children.

Area youngsters compete during the 2022 Lincoln League Flag Football Championships on Sunday, April 23, at Sikeston High School. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Byrd)

“We got the kids excited about football and at the end of it all that’s my goal, to make kids excited and want to play the game of football,” said Sikeston head football coach Treston Pulley. “Anytime I can create an atmosphere centered around football I'm all about it. I have heard nothing but great things about the league and we plan to continue this league for years to come.”

There are many benefits to the league including laying the foundation for the future of Bulldogs’ football and providing area youngsters with a great way to learn valuable lessons like teamwork and leadership and providing a much-needed outlet for physical activity.

Area youngsters compete during the 2022 Lincoln League Flag Football Championships on Sunday, April 23, at Sikeston High School. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Byrd)

“This program is needed in town,” Pulley said. “The best benefit is introducing the game to kids and letting them have fun first. Then we invite them to join our youth tackle leagues which puts them in a position to join our junior high program and then high school. Flag football is the foundation of building a successful football program in the coming years.”

The league has taken place over the past four weekends with each team playing two games regular-season games each Sunday, and concluded with a single-elimination postseason tournament.

Area youngsters compete during the 2022 Lincoln League Flag Football Championships on Sunday, April 23, at Sikeston High School. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Byrd)

Several parents and other adults served as coaches, but current high school players are also allowed to coach the teams and earn A+ Scholarship and community service hours.

Sikeston sophomore Andon Christian helped lead the Bengals to a 19-18 win over the Eagles in the championship game of the fourth-grade through sixth-grade division.

“It’s great bonding with the kids and making memories for them while teaching the game I love and watching them develop a love for football,” Christian said. “[Our championship game] was very close and had a lot of learning moments. We started cold not scoring on our first three drives but also stopping [our opponents] on their first three drives. We’ve never been down at halftime before, but we were trailing 12-6 in this game. I knew I had to stay positive, encourage them, and make sure they kept going hard, which is what they did and once we started playing like a team we couldn’t be stopped.”

Area youngsters compete during the 2022 Lincoln League Flag Football Championships on Sunday, April 23, at Sikeston High School. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Byrd)

The Bengals scored the winning touchdown with about two minutes remaining, and the team’s defense stood strong on the final possession of the game, knocking down a Hail Mary as time expired.

While the league is about teaching the game to the children, it can also have benefits for the coaches involved, according to Christian.

“It’s helped me to learn how to be a better leader,” he said. “I’d say that’s the biggest benefit of me coaching.”

Area youngsters compete during the 2022 Lincoln League Flag Football Championships on Sunday, April 23, at Sikeston High School. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Byrd)

The Chargers defeated the Packers by a score of 30-21 in the second-grade and third-grade division, while the Jaguars, Rams, Panthers and Colts all earned participation medals in the kindergartener and first-grade league.

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