Jerry Whisnant Jr.’s love for flag football has earned him a trip to Holland.
No, not to the two western provinces of the Netherlands’that European country famous for wooden shoes, dikes and soccer players clad in screaming orange uniforms.
But rather, Holland, Mich., on the western side of the state.
Whisnant plays for the Waterford Flagstar Bank flag football team, and this upcoming weekend the team will travel to Holland for the Oct. 18-19 City of Holland Flag Football Tournament.
Flagstar Bank plays Level A flag football, designated for teams that have been around for several years.
The team is sponsored by Bill Flury of the Waterford branch of Flagstar.
The state tournament will feature teams from across Michigan and will be a two-game elimination format.
‘You might have a game at 9 a.m. and then one at 1 p.m., or even two games back to back,? Whisnant said.
Whisnant, a foreman for a landscape company who plays center, quarterback and defensive lineman, is no stranger to flag football. He played professional football for the Flint Flames in the Indoor Football League (the league eventually merged with the Arena Football League’s AF2 minor league). He also played semi-pro football for a Pontiac team and has been playing flag football for more than 10 years.
For the past six years, Whisnant’s been playing for the Flagstar bank team. So far, Flagstar’s 5-0 on the season. Their defense hasn’t allowed any points season while they’ve scored 136 points on offense. That means the average score per game has been 27-0 for the team.
‘We have a very strong defense,? Whisnant said. ‘I think it has to do with the pass rush since it gets the quarterback out of the pocket. They usually roll left or right. With our fast secondary, we’re able to react to throws.?
He added that the cornerbacks and safety are also able to react quickly. Flagstar’s defensive record is impressive when you consider that in seven-man flag football, everybody is an eligible receiver. First downs are 20 yards, though.
So far this season, Whisnant has scored one touchdown and has made nine catches. No interceptions’yet.
He feels the team will take first in the tournament.
‘We have the best team we’ve been on since I’ve played flag football,? he said. ‘They fit their positions perfectly in terms of athleticism. We have the right people in the right spots. It’s like the Detroit Red Wings. You get people together and start winning and don’t want to change it.
Whisnant also credits the team’s success to Head Coach Rod Honaker. ‘He should be a recruiter for the Detroit Lions,? he said.
Honaker describes their league as a good and tough one, where things have, so far, gone well for them.
‘I know the offense and defense are good, and as long as we play our game and get good breaks, I think we can win it,? he said. ‘We’ve taken third the last two years, and teams that beat us went first and second.?
One of the tough teams that beat Flagstar last year was the Holland Patness. The Buzzards from Saginaw are another tough competitor.