TALENT-RICH JIVE HOPES TO BE AIR APPARENT.Byline: Gerry Gittelson Daily News Staff Writer For Eliel Swinton, the NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga Air-It-Out flag football tournament at Balboa Park Balboa Park is the name of several municipal parks, including the following:
Swinton, 23, the Daily News 1992 football Player of the Year who graduated from Montclair Prep as the region's second all-time leading rusher behind Crespi High's Russell White, is part of a loaded team called Jive. The squad has been practicing daily for six weeks and also features ex-Alemany star running back Tyler Robuck, former Crespi football/track standout Ryan Kieling, and former Westlake High/Washington State quarterback Brad Gossen. Swinton is hoping the Jive is good enough to win the Top Gun division and advance to the National Finals in Orlando in April. The national champion meets a team of a NFL players in a televised matchup. Standing in the Jive's way is Burbank-based Back 2 Basics, which returns after winning last year's Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, final at Pierce College In 2006 the Library won a national Excellence award. Academics Pierce College offers associate's degrees, mainly in the arts and sciences. There are also certificate programs in early childhood education, social services, dental hygienist, and others. . ``We have some talent,'' said Swinton, who started at defensive back for Stanford and now works as an entertainment production assistant. ``We're going out there to win, and hopefully we can be the best because we have a lot of speed.'' Robuck, 27, put the Jive together and serves as captain. ``We're all in pretty good shape,'' he said. ``For the last month and a half we've been doing one-on-one drills and working on our passing.'' Quarterback Gossen played for Washington State from 1987-1990. ``Brad has got a gun,'' said Robuck, who played receiver at UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. before the college cut football. ``He's the kind of quarterback that gets you the ball even if you're not open.'' The Jive should expect plenty of Top Gun competition. Among others, Fast Twitch presents a challenge. The team features several former Cal State Northridge players, including quarterback Chris Parker Chris/Christopher Parker is the name of:
Air-It-Out features players of all ages and abilities. The fields are 50 yards long, the action is fast-paced, and wins go to the team that scores 28 points or is leading after the 30-minute time limit. The 1998-99 tour travels to 21 cities. Six hundred teams and thousands of spectators are expected at Balboa Park. Not every team has its sights set on Orlando. Mike McBride, a 4-foot-9, 80-pound 13-year old from Avalon, simply wants to continue being a flag football success after earning youth-league MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. honors on Catalina Island Catalina Island: see Santa Catalina. . ``I just catch the ball good,'' he said. ``We know a lot of plays, and our quarterback (Chris Bogard) can throw good and hit his targets. Plus, we want to represent the island.'' Flexall 5 is in the second-tiered weekend warrior division. The players are all from the West San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and range from 30- to-46 years old. ``We've won three tournaments in the past,'' said captain Bernie Reed of Northridge. ``But ever since we lost our quarterback, some teams give us a trouncing. We've been practicing a little bit, but none of us have any real football experience.'' FLAG FOOTBALL FRENZY What: NFL Air-It-Out tournament Who: 600 five-person flag football teams Where: Balboa Park in Encino When: Today and Sunday At stake: Top Gun winner advances to National Finals in Orlando Last year: Burbank-based Back 2 Basics advanced with a 20-19 win over Big Air from West Los Angeles
Extras: Sprint NFL Experience, featuring interactive games that test football skill; Quarterback Challenge featuring top prep football quarterbacks. CAPTION(S): Box BOX: FLAG FOOTBALL FRENZY (see text) |
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