CANTON – Metro Select Saints head coach Yusef Pie knew his roster included someone who could play the role of difference-maker in the Boys 15U title game at the NFL Flag Championships on Sunday.
Daniel Berry found plenty of ways to back up his coach’s faith.
Berry caught two touchdown passes and intercepted three passes, retuning one 43 yards for another score, in earning game Most Valuable Player honors as the Saints topped the Lockdown Legends Titans 38-13 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
“Daniel Berry … he’s phenomenal,” Pie said. “We knew coming in there’s not a lot of Daniel Berrys out there, so we got the special one. And we knew that (if) we ride him, he’ll take us to the championship.”
Berry made two of his big plays in the first half of what began as back-and-forth contest before the Saints’ defense put the clamps on the Titans, outscoring them 20-0 after the break.
“We came in here riding on our defense,” Pie said “We gave up maybe 12 points (a game) … for like five games. Like they said, ‘Defense wins championships,’ and we believe that.”
Metro Select held its two previous opponents in the tournament to a single touchdown each and frustrated a Titans team that had averaged 29 points in its three previous contests.
“We were like, ‘We can’t let them score more than us’ and, like, every time we go out there we’ve got to shut ’em down.” Berry said. “Try to get a pick; try to get a flag. Something. Just don’t let ’em get close to the end zone.”
The Saints delivered a big blow early in the second half when Landon Brazzell took a short pass from Eli Frye and with some elusive moves turned it into a 43-yard scoring play. The Frye-to-Brazzell pitch-and-catch gave Metro Select a 26-13 lead.
Lockdown Legends took the opening possession to paydirt. They converted a fourth down and later benefitted from a defensive pass interference call in the end zone to set up a 1-yard Peyton Dickerson to Ezra Golin scoring pass.
Metro Select responded quickly. Frye found Berry with a pass that covered 30 yards for the tying touchdown. On the next Lockdown Legends possession, Berry intercepted Dickerson and returned the ball nearly the length of the field for the go-ahead touchdown.
“I saw him coming across the middle. I saw the quarterbacks eyes go over there, so I just rushed to it,” Berry said. “I was like, ‘I’m finna take this back to the crib.'”
Dickerson responded by leading a drive that ended with a touchdown pass to R.C. Davis from 7 yards out. The first successful conversion of the game put the Titans ahead 13-12.
Metro Select took the lead into intermission, however, when Audric Williams made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 27-yard touchdown from Frye in the final minute of the half.
The Saints would not relinquish the lead.
Berry picked off another pass on a “Hail Mary” attempt to end the first half. He added a third interception later in the second half as the Saints went on a scoring binge that included his 3-yard scoring reception and another touchdown for Frye on a 7-yard pass to Williams.
Frye finished 10-for-10 for 160 yards and five touchdowns.
Dickerson went 18 for 28 for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Davis caught eight passes for 100 yards.
The result capped a special weekend for Pie and his team.
“This is absolutely breathtaking,” he said after the game. “I’m just so fortunate to be in this position to coach some of the greatest kids. I’ve seen them growing up; they grew up from ages like 7, and we’ve been doing it for so long.
“So, I mean, just to see this all come to the ending point and go out on top, it’s just, man, it has been a ride. I’ve been riding this wave for so long I don’t see no wave coming down.”
Stephanie Kwok, an NFL vice president and head of its Flag Football division, deemed the weekend in Canton a success.
“It was everything we hoped for and more,” she said of the 280-team tournament. “Being able to showcase all these teams, all of these boys, all of these girls. To make sure that they had a weekend where they were the focus, and they were spotlighted.
“And then having that broadcast, I think that the broadcast was amazing. ESPN did such a good job showcasing all of the teams. And just walking around the grounds, there was so much energy from all of the parents, coaches and players,” she continued. “It was just a great experience here at the Hall of Fame.”
Semifinals
Lockdown Legends Titans 32, Loudon Legends Steelers 20
Lockdown Legends built a 13-0 lead and never trailed in reaching the finals. Dickerson completed 19 of 24 attempts for 229 yards and five touchdowns.
Davis totaled 101 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Gavin Macias caught five passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
Julian Marza passed for 135 yards and three touchdowns for Loudon Legends. Kabir Rajpal scored twice on six receptions covering 79 yards.
Metro Select Saints 13, Tucson Turf Cardinals 6
Berry scored on 5- and 16-yard runs in the first half – the second scoring play coming just before intermission for a 13-0 halftime lead.
Tucson Turf pulled closer when Jake Rogers hit Sean Roebuck from 3 yards out for a touchdown with 4:28 to play. They connected on a desperation pass on the last play of the game, but Roebuck’s attempt to avoid a tackle took him out of bounds at the 2 as time expired.
Frye completed 14 of 20 passes for 126 yards. Berry had four receptions for 48 yards.
Rogers completed 11 of 14 passes for 116 yards. Zerek Sidney totaled 58 receiving yards on five receptions. Roebuck made four catches for 36 yards.
