Flag Football Arrives In Culbertson
The Culbertson community came together for a flag football Super Bowl on Thursday, Oct. 2. Five teams from grades 2-5 were matched up in two rounds of games. Members of the Culbertson Little League cooked up burgers and snacks for attendees.
Turnout was high and the weather was ideal for the occasion, which included games with prizes for children and adults between games.
“We’re hoping to expand to include junior high girls,” Buccaneers coach Jeff Nickoloff told this newspaper. He pointed out volunteer referees Jeff Haus, Chris Newbill and Gabe Stuber. “It really helps having someone like Chris,” Nickolofff said. “He really studies up on the rulebook for the sport.”
Student participants were excited to compete and their spirits were bolstered by the general fanfare. Prior to the first game, Eagles’ coach Mike Smith encouraged his team to cheer for all the players in attendance. “We root for everyone,” Smith said.
Results for the younger division saw the Titans in first place, followed by the Cardinals in second and the Vikings in third. The Buccaneers won against the Eagles in the division for grades 4-5.
Holly Nickoloff was the primary organizer for the Super Bowl. ”It was theperfectendingtoourfirstseason,” she said. “Watching how much the kids grew from the first game to the Super Bowl was incredible. Their confidence and teamwork really shined. The community came together in the best way possible to celebrate them. We had more than 40 volunteers helping throughout the night, from coaches and officials to tailgate party games and concessions. I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished together.”
Asked about the future of flag football in Culbertson, Nickoloff said she thinks things are moving in the right direction. “My goal is to continue building on the momentum from this season. The response from the kids, parents and community has been amazing, and there’s clearly a lot of excitement for the program. I’d love to expand by adding more age divisions so even more kids can participate. I’m also hoping to encourage surrounding communities to start their own leagues, it would be great to see this grow into something that connects more towns and gives even more youth the chance to get involved.”
Culbertson Mayor Todd Gabriel said more than five boxes of burgers were cooked before the first game started. Additional sponsorship was provided by Premium Oldfield Technologies.
