Stopping the Show
Brad Theilen of the Showstoppers breaks free in the open field against New Hampton during the Charles City Fall Flag Football League championship game.
New Hampton ‘takes care of business’ on way to title win
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com
CHARLES CITY — At one point during the Charles City Flag Football League championship game played last Thursday at Westwood Park, the Showstoppers had a 42-22 lead over New Hampton.
But 42 points were not going to win this game.
Nonetheless, the Showstoppers seemed to be in the driver’s seat. The team had gone undefeated during the regular season and through the semifinal round of the postseason playoffs, sometimes nearly putting triple-digits on the board.
They certainly had the lionshare of the league’s topnotch athletes, including former Nashua-Plainfield all-stater Brad Theilen, who went on to become one the star receivers for the University of Sioux Falls while helping the Cougars win back-to-back NAIA titles in 2008 and 2009; and former Charles City standout Erich Feller, who is ranked among the all-time top receivers for the Comets.
Members of the New Hampton flag football team rallied from a three-touchdown deficit to defeat the Showstoppers, 54-48, in the championship game of the Charles City Flag Football League. Team members include Brad Nelson, Nick Valentini, Marc Waterlander, Anthony Sweitzer, Tristan Sweitzer, Coy Wiegmann, John Epperly and Cory Orr.
As for New Hampton … they had a doctor, a minister and a several local businessmen who, with their advanced age, seemed to have no business in trying to stop the Showstoppers in claiming the title.
But New Hampton began to strategically unleash its blitz — you get to rush the quarterback without counting “One Mississippi … Two Mississippi …” once every four downs — while provoking a series of interceptions.
Eventually, New Hampton took the lead and won the game, 54-48.
“It took us a while to get things together,” said Brad Nelson of New Hampton, which lost its first two games of the regular seasons. “We managed to pick things up at the end.
“Being down by three touchdowns was a lot for us old guys to overcome.”
Other members of New Hampton included Nick Valentini, Marc Waterlander, Anthony Sweitzer, Tristan Sweitzer, Coy Wiegmann, John Epperly and Cory Orr.
This is the first fall football league organized by Dakotah Jones, who previously held a spring league at Westwood.
“We hope to get even more teams for next spring,” Jones said. “We had some ex-college players in this league. Hopefully, we can get some more to spread the talent around.”
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