43rd Communication Squadron wraps up perfect season with back-to-back titles Published Dec. 12, 2007 By Staff Sgt. Jon LaDue 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- The 43rd Communications Squadron here had only one thing on their minds to prove this season as the defending flag football champs - that they could do it all over again. "Coming off of a championship season, our expectations were to repeat," said 43rd CS quarterback and coach William "G-Force" Gibbs. "But due to the fact that most of the team was returning from the previous season, we set out sights even higher ... an undefeated season." That's just what they did. 43rd CS demanded perfection, and they were going undefeated in 14 regular season games. The team proved they could not only win games, but dominate them as well, outscoring opponents 225-80 in the regular season, including six wins by 13 points or more. The team started refining their skills and team chemistry about three weeks prior to the season's kickoff. Gibbs said once the season started they didn't need to practice anymore because the team's chemistry was well in place. Instead, the team relied on their championship experience to win games. "We became the master of putting defensive backs in a position where whatever choice they made, it was the wrong one," Gibbs said. "We may not have been the fastest or most gifted team, but we were the smartest, most experience team, which makes up for a lot of other shortcomings. "A team can win with athletes or crazy plays drawn in the sand, but the best recipe is an organized, safe offense with sure-handed wide receivers," added Gibbs. Offensively, the team put their trust into Gibbs, their fleet-footed quarterback. As coach, Gibbs likes to run the "west coast offense, " with some trick plays, a few runs and a lot of passes down field. 43rd CS had some key playmakers offensively at the wide receiver position including Tommy "EAZY" Edgar, Zachery "Turbo" Turbyfill, Lonnie Theriault and Nathan "Sprinkles" Rhoton. Edgar said another thing that makes 43rd CS so good is its strong defense, anchored by defensive linemen Justin "Crooked J" Graves and Richard "LT" Davis. Their strength and speed allowed them to put pressure on quarterbacks all season, which made the rest of the defense's job easier. "Our scheme was designed to pressure [opposing] quarterbacks into a bad throw as the pocket collapsed," said Gibbs. "All of our defensive backs played wide receiver, so when the ball was in the air we felt like we had the upper hand. The defensive strategy proved deadly for opposing offenses as 43rd CS pitched five shutouts and held opponents to under seven points in nine of their 14 regular season games. Despite having to overcome injuries to Turbyfill and Edgar during the season, Gibbs said the team believed all along they could repeat as champions, but really started to feel confident once they defeated every team in their conference. They carried that momentum into the playoffs, defeating the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron twice and 43rd Services Squadron to bring their overall record to 17-0 heading into the championship game. They capped off their perfect season with a 13-6 win over the 43rd Medical Group, scoring the game-winning touchdown with one second remaining. 43rd CS did this with some help from Davis, who Gibbs said was their most improved player throughout the season. Davis played running back for the Air Force Academy, but it took some time for him to adjust to the style of the flag-football game. " he understood the angles and separation required, he excelled as our primary kick returner and running back," Gibbs said. This year's championship game was a rematch from last year against 43rd MDG. 43rd CS won their first championship last year in a very close battle, 9-6. "It was an amazing match-up and it turned out to be an amazing game. [43rd Medical Group] have a lot of good athletes and had their chances to win both years," said Gibbs. "Luckily we were able to make enough plays to come out victorious back-to-back." 43rd CS was thrilled to win their second straight championship. After the game the team met at midfield for a group huddle and chant, yelling, 'Who's house? Comm's house! Who's house? Comm's house!' "It feels good. I wasn't around for the first one, but it feels good to be around for the second one," said Davis. For the coach who has more than 15 years of flag-football experience, this victory is a memorable one. "This team was special ... to keep the team together for two straight years, knowing you bettered 15 other teams who want what you have ... it's just an incredible accomplishment that I'll cherish for a very long time," said Gibbs. When referring to 43rd CS's football team this year, a few phrases get thrown around -- 'perfection,' 'back-to-back,' 'champions.' For them, looking ahead to next year there should be only one phrase on their minds, 'three-peat.'