Turkey Bowl XVIII Recap

It was a mild Thanksgiving afternoon, though the field at the Littleton Middle School was enshrouded in fog, making it difficult to see all the way from one end zone to the other. Of course, the Turkey Bowl is played on a 50-yard field, keeping visibility from becoming an issue until the inevitable onset of darkness. With several of our usual players missing, Turkey Bowl XVIII would be an intimate, four-on-four, family affair. In a departure from usual tradition, this game would be played by flag football rules rather than as two-hand touch.

I was joined on my team by Chuck Gould (my uncle), Tiana Gould (Chuck's younger daughter), and Nadine Nadow (my cousin). The opponents were anchored by Travis Nadow (Nadine's brother), accompanied by Melyssa Nadow (Nadine and Travis' sister), Sherry Gould (mother to the three Nadows), and Monique Gould (Chuck's older daughter).

The game got off to an inauspicious start when Chuck fumbled the opening kickoff and Travis recovered the loose ball. But Travis' team went three-and-out and punted the ball away. My team recovered, and within two plays -- one of which was a well-executed trick play where Nadine handed Tiana the ball and proceeded to pick her up and carry her down the field -- drew first blood. Travis quickly responded with a touchdown of his own, taking advantage of a blitz to scramble out of the pocket and run down the field.

Much of the game was a defensive struggle, with dropped passes, interceptions, punts, and nary a first down. At one point, I tipped a pass into my hands for an interception and took it to the end zone for a 14-7 lead that was quickly nullified when Travis returned the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown of his own.

As the game wore down, I laid a nasty block on Travis after a punt, knocking him to the ground and allowing Nadine to return the ball to the end zone. But Travis responded once again with a touchdown return on the ensuing kickoff. My team then found itself on the 15-yard line after yet another strong kick return, looking to go ahead for good. A run by Tiana put us in prime position but our offense stalled on the six and we were forced to turn the ball over on downs. Travis and Melyssa did their best to advance the ball, but on fourth-and-two from their own 14, Travis' pass fell incomplete.

The onset of nightfall ensured that my team's drive would be the last of the game. The decreased visibility would also pose a challenge. At 21-21, the worst we could do was tie. A quick dump-off to Nadine looked to be the game-winner until Melyssa pulled her flag at the one-yard line. The play was long enough for a first down, giving us four shots at the end zone. On first down, Travis and Melyssa blitzed, pulling my flag for a three-yard loss before I could throw the ball away. My second down pass to Nadine was incomplete. On third down, with visibility rapidly waning, Tiana and I misconnected with the snap and the ball rolled away. I covered it, but we had lost seven yards and had to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the ten.

Knowing that it would be the game's final play, I looked over the middle to where Nadine and Chuck were crossing. One of them tipped the pass in an attempt to catch it, but Travis was able to intercept it and turned on the jets in attempt to take it all the way back. He eluded Nadine and Chuck and I dove to catch him as he ran by me. I took a swipe at his flag but Travis was too quick and without apparently touching the flag, I proceeded to watch him run the length of the field. Suddenly, I realized that Travis' flag was lying on the ground near where I had tried to grab it. I ran over, picked it up, pointed it out to the other team, and insisted that play was dead. Travis' team, on the other hand, claimed victory, arguing that nobody had actually caught him and he would have made it to the end zone had his flag not fallen out.

It was a controversial finish -- one that will have to wait until next year to be resolved. Including Turkey Bowl IV, I have a 12-1-2 record in these games, counting this year's edition as a tie. Maybe next time we'll have more receptions than interceptions. With some of our best weapons back in the game, an improved performance is all but assured.