It is not easy to play on a losing team, as members of the PWC Renegades can attest over the years.
PWC ended another flag football campaign as also-rans last Saturday at the Ed Bush Field in West Bay. The Renegades would finish at the bottom of the Digicel Summer League, put on by the Cayman Islands Flag Football Association.
For veteran lineman James ‘Cadillac’ Collins, the focus has never been about winning.
“Though we didn’t win a game, we continued to improve and develop new talent,” Collins said. “We’ve seen a lot with new guys like Brett Eden and Mark Chisholm coming off the youth leagues.
“A lot of the guys were new to the sport but they learned a lot and enjoyed the game more. That’s what the Renegades are about: having fun.”
The statistics will say the Renegades were never competitive. They scored the fewest points (36) and allowed the most points (328) in the competition. In the last month, they have suffered the three biggest losses in the league: 54-0 to the dms West Bay Hellcats on 4 August, 40-0 to the Club House Bulldogs on 11 August and 33-0 to the Maples Packers on 1 September.
However, the accountants did produce some positive figures. Starting quarterback Chris LeBeau completed 67.8 per cent of his passes, Justin ‘Crazy Legs’ Miller was the leading receiver with 21 catches and two touchdowns and team captain Jeffrey Stower was the top defender with 12 tackles, two sacks and one interception.
Veteran Antonio ‘Primetime’ Hanna also excelled on defence with 10 tackles, a sack and two interceptions. The defensive end/tight-end states none of those numbers provide any solace.
“The season went south, it was not good mainly because of the new players,” Hanna said. “We had to be teaching them once again. The thing is when you have to get experience, you can’t learn it all in one season and you have to learn the hard way.
“This season was really disappointing. We were looking to build on last year when we won a few games. But we took a step back.”
As Hanna states, the Renegades had legitimate hopes of claiming three or more victories. In 2011, under the team name of Ironmen, PWC had two victories over the Hammerheads Pirates and the Maples Packers.
PWC came close to notching a win in 2012. On 28 July, they lost a tight game to the Cayman Power Sports and Marine Hurricanes 15-6. Interestingly, the Hurricanes consist of some of the same players that played for the Pirates.
Collins does not put much stock in comparing the two PWC teams.
“Last year we improved but we lost some of those players. Guys like Kyle Broadhurst and Chris Moser left and several guys moved away. Several of the guys now are older and we got older as a team. We’re constantly getting new players and building legends.”
While the numbers don’t quite back them up, several new faces made an impression on the field. Brandon ‘Thunderbird’ Ure and Deepal ‘Brown Thunder’ Patel emerged as viable options on offence. Hockey player Steve ‘Moose’ Taylor had a knack for dramatic plays on both sides of the ball and Gregg ‘Crusher’ Arnold was effective in spurts.
Collins states Taylor stood out most in his mind.
“Moose is a great player, he can play defence. He’s a good hustler that plays every down hard. There was not really a coach but Stower led us as team captain. There will definitely be a team next year, unless you know something I don’t know.
“This was my third season with PWC and I wouldn’t leave. Hanna and I played with the Hellcats four years and the whole purpose of us joining this team was to make the league more even. When we left it was not on bad terms, we just wanted to make the league competitive.
“A lot of people want me to play for them. I’ve been part of three or four championships. I’m just playing for the love of the game.”
For the record, league playoffs start this Saturday, 22 September, at Ed Bush. The top seed battles the fourth ranked side at 1.30pm with the number two and number three squads battling it out at 2.45pm. While seeding is to be decided, the participants are set as the Hellcats aim for a seventh championship against the Bulldogs, Packers and Burger King Panthers.
PWC will not be the only side watching on from the sidelines. Both the Hurricanes and the Cox Colts missed out on the postseason with losing records.
Hanna states the team will be optimistic this offseason.
“I was asked to join other teams; for example, I was asked to go back to the Hellcats. It’s not about winning, the guys are fun to play with. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day: having fun.
“Next year, we’ll evaluate how things go. Other guys have shown an interest in joining the team. We just want to be competitive. If we can bring experienced guys over that can play, we have a chance to be competitive.”
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