The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama 3Lynx Boyz and Eagles are the 2023 men and women’s champions of the Bahamas Flag Football League (BFFL) Heroes Tournament.

The second edition of the two-day event saw the 3Lynx Boyz hoist the championship trophy for the second straight year and the newly-formed Eagles earn their first win in the tournament.

The Abaco Sharks also claimed their second consecutive championship in the competition at the Winton Rugby Field this past weekend.

The event showcased the flag football talents of local and international teams in the 9v9 and 5v5 men’s division as well as the 8v8 women’s division.

Bianca Lee, tournament director, was impressed with the competition on display between the 15 teams at this year’s tournament.

“The level of competition was exciting, teams were on the same level which allowed for an any given Sunday feel, you never know who is going to come out on top,” Lee said.

The tournament director considered the event a success and credited last year’s inaugural event for setting the foundation which showed them the things needed to make this year’s event even better.

The 3Lynx Boyz earned flag football bragging rights after wrapping up the two-day tournament with a win over the BFFL championship runner ups Oasis Team Red Dot. The Freeport team came away with a 12-6 win on Sunday to repeat as champions in the 9v9 men’s division.

Janeil Cash was crowned the team’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the tournament win.

Craig Smith, head coach of the 3Lynx Boyz, was overwhelmed with emotion as he talked about this year’s win.

“It feels good to repeat, we feel like the kings of the hills, the key was we had to come back and defend ourselves,” Smith said.

The coach added that the competition was very competitive and he felt the tournament went smoothly and is also looking forward to coming back with the team next year.

For the women, the Eagles defeated the visiting Cayman Islands Lynx.

The sport’s newest team made a statement against the Lynx with a 13-6 win in the 8v8 division.

Ricarno Nixon, head coach of the Eagles, said the win was hard fought.

“It was a hard fought victory, my girls went out there and gave it their all and we came out victorious.

“But there are some things we have to clean up to get better as a team,” Nixon said.

He continued to say it was a good win for the team’s first time in the tournament, but there are still some offseason improvements to be made as they hope to vie for next year’s BFFL championship.

Shaniqua Thompson, who plays safety for the Eagles, was awarded the team’s MVP trophy.

“It feels good with the Eagles sitting out one season. We came back and we are winning,” Thompson said.

She said her job was to be the intelligent one on the field, playing honest and being vigilant against her opponent which translated into her receiving the award.

The Sharks joined the 3Lynx Boyz as two-time champions this past weekend. The Abaco team won the 5v5 men’s division over the Cayman Islands Cobras in a 19-13 victory.

At last year’s inaugural launch of the tournament, the 3Lynx Boyz earned a 12-7 victory over the Skye’s Limit Rock Boyz.

Meanwhile, the Paradise Games Wildcats earned a dominant 20-0 win over Grand Bahama’s Zero Tolerance in last year’s championships.

Teams have already expressed interest in returning to next year’s competition, according to Lee.

The 2024 Heroes Tournament is slated for October 12-13.