RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The intramural football regular season ended last week with 12th Mission Support Squadron awarded the top seed for the playoff tournament.
In tournament play Wednesday evening, 12th MSS avoided an upset against the 562nd Flying Training Squadron, coming back from a two-touchdown deficit to win. The top-seeded 12th MSS squad blanked 562nd in the second half and had two scores in the final minutes to win 26-13 and advance in the postseason bracket.
"The 562nd team played really well and I think we took things for granted that it would be easier than it was," said Hestroverto Martinez, 12th MSS head coach. "We won by six touchdowns the first time we played them, but they were a lot better this time."
"Just a few mistakes on my part and they did some good things with rotating their rushers in the second half or we might have beaten them," said David Waclawski, 562nd quarterback.
Waclawski was a key performer on both sides of the ball for 562nd, finding Lin Haack on a long touchdown pass play, then Will Raymond for another aerial score and extra-point play in the first half.
Trailing 13-0 with 10 seconds left before intermission, 12th MSS rallied behind scrambling quarterback Eric Doggett for a late score. Doggett found Eric Plack in the seam for a touchdown, between several defenders, to ignite 12th MSS for its comeback.
"Our rushers were important on defense and we kept them from scoring in the second half," said Martinez. "Willie Castor, Joey Clayburn and Eric Plack all put pressure on their quarterback. That allowed us to create some turnovers."
Offensively, Doggett's scrambling runs set up the tying score and another for the lead. The first one was thrown to Plack, who then pitched to teammate D.J. Fluker to complete the progression into the end zone.
Doggett ran for the conversion and had a long run on 12th MSS's next possession, pitching at the end to the trailing Fluker for another touchdown.
"Those pitches to Fluker were keys for us," Doggett said. "We had people all over the field on both sides of the ball who helped us come back and win."
Donald Ritter had two interceptions for 12th MSS and Eleazar Herevia caught a conversion pass to aid the push. Ritter returned one of his pickoffs for the team's final touchdown.
In a late game Wednesday, the 562nd stayed alive in the tourney with a 19-13 overtime win over Joint Personnel and Property Shipping Office.
The playoffs began Tuesday with a nine-team bracket and a double-elimination format, meaning a team is eliminated only after its second loss.
The 12th MDG team pasted Air Force Recruiting Service/12th Contracting Squadron by a 40-6 count as part of the first-round slate Tuesday. Other winners included Fire Department, 435th Fighter Training Squadron and 12th Security Forces Squadron.
Despite the MDG blowout, all other games were hotly-contested as the tournament opened as only a touchdown separated the teams in each of three remaining tilts. It was the 435th winning 6-0 over 562nd, 12th SFS over JPPSO, 13-6 and Fire Department on top of AFPC, 14-6.
Wednesday games saw the 12th MDG, 12th SFS and Air Force Personnel Center all advance in the bracket. The batch of teams eliminated included JPPSO, 435th FTS and AFRS/12th CONS.
Tuesday scores
562nd FTS 6, 435th FTS 0
12th MDG 40, AFRS/12th CONS 6
Fire Dept. 14, AFPC 6
12th SFS 13, JPPSO 6
Wednesday scores
12th MSS 26, 562nd FTS 13
AFRS/12th CONS 35, 435th FTS 6
562nd 19, JPPSO 13 (OT)
AFPC 19, AFRS/12th CONS 13
Thursday slate
12th MDG vs. Fire Dept
12th MSS vs. 12th SFS
562nd vs. opponent to be determined
AFPC vs. opponent to be determined
* Championship game - Feb. 11