Richmond A and the Pylon Pythons kicked off the flag football season with a grueling scrimmage on Monday. The Pylon Pythons came out on top by just two points with a final score of 27-25.

Veteran flag-footballer and James H. Richmond Residential College Athletic Director Shawn Jones, junior from Benton, Ky., said the Pylon Pythons would be some of the biggest competition.

“It was a tough game,” Jones said. “It was the first game for us; we’ve got a lot of new faces. We don’t have the team that they do. They’ve been around a lot longer than we have. But it was still pretty fun.”

The stress of preparation for the season falls heavy on Jones’ shoulders, because he organized two teams for Richmond and all of their practices.  Despite the stress that accompanies his job, Jones enjoys getting involved as much as possible.

“I like the side sports,” Jones said. “I get to do all the sports that I didn’t play in high school – or I keep going off of those sports. I try to get into every single game I can.”

Richmond A and Pylon Pythons both know what it’s like to be champions, as Richmond took home first place in the residential college division last year and the Pythons placed first in the independent division.

“We’ve been first place the past two years,” Jones said. “So having this loss – especially to some of our seniors – it kind of makes them a little frustrated. Being on top, we want to stay on top.”

Pylon Pythons’ coach, senior Blake Hodges from Princeton, Ky., was excited to start the season with a win against a strong team.

“Flag football is just a lot of fun,” Hodges said. “We get a lot of guys out here, and it’s more just fun to be around everybody.”

Hodges enjoys both the competition and relationships that form during the season.

The flag football season officially began Monday and runs until Nov. 24.

Story by Mallory Tucker, Sports Editor