Gym Class Heroes win CC Flag Football League championship game

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Concussions have been a growing concern in football at all levels.

High School. College. NFL … even flag.

“I got one last year,” said Ben Klapperich while referencing the turn of events from the inaugural season finale of the Charles City Fall Flag Football League.

Klapperich, who is a teacher and head coach for the Charles City boys varsity basketball team, was quarterback for the then undefeated Showstoppers in last fall’s championship game against New Hampton.

The Showstoppers had a 20-point lead before Klapperich hit his head on the autumn-chilled hard ground while diving for an opponent’s flag.

Klapperich continued to play, but from that point on he seemed to morph into Rex Grossman.

“I threw a pass to a guy who I was sure was on my team,” Klapperich said of one of several turnovers that enabled New Hampton to come from behind for the upset win. “I take blame for last year’s loss.”

Klapperich and many of the Showstoppers returned to the league championship game, this time under the team name “Gym Class Heroes”. Like the Showstoppers before them, the “Heroes” were undefeated going into the final … this time against the “Dawg Pound”, which consisted of several players from the New Hampton championship team.

With no concussion conundrums this time around, the GCHs — utilizing a quarterback tandem of Klapperich and former Nashua-Plainfield all-stater and University of Sioux Falls star Brad Theilen — not only were able to maintain a big lead but build from it on way to winning, 78-32, Tuesday night at Westwood Park.

Other members of the “Heroes” include former Charles City football MVP Jaden Foster, Ramsey Bark, Zach Mueller, Nate Masters and Jordan Klingman. Austin Ferch and Hunter Mueller are also members of the team, but were unable to play in the championship.

The league’s format is 6-on-6 with four 10-minute quarters. Though tackling isn’t allowed, that doesn’t mean there’s no contact. With many of the more athletic and agile offensive players using Eddie Lacy-like spin moves in the open field to protect their velcro-to-belt-attached flags, defenders are prone to resort to “thud contact” … i.e. physically obstructing the ballcarrier to get a better grasp at their flags.

Defenses are allowed to blitz every four downs. Otherwise a 1 Mississippi … 2 Mississippi … 3 Mississippi … pass rush rule is applied.

The league was formed and organized by Dakotah Jones, who has started several other adult recreational sport leagues in Charles City.

Formerly, there was a spring flag football league, but Jones decided to nix it because it was too difficult to find the perfect window when the weather and ground conditions were ideal without interfering with adult softball leagues at Westwood.