Southern Tier Flag Football Team Heads to Tampa

Zachery Cornell takes the snap for a a flag football team that’s making waves throughout the Southern Tier.

His dad, coach Brian Cornell watches on as the team he spent so long bringing together is seeing their dreams become a reality. And it comes at a time when kids like these have been mostly kept out of sporting activities. 

“It’s been great because we’ve been bonding, making new friendships because we didn’t know everybody and like I said before, it’s just nice to be out and active. It’s probably the nicest part about it,” said Zachery Cornell, GBSC Patriots quarterback.

That does work, in fact the hard work of the Greater Binghamton Sports Complex Patriots has earned them the right to play in the NFL-sponsored national flag football tournament. 

But the road to get there wasn’t an easy one. 

“We has a time where we had no practice for about three, four weeks when our home field, the Greater Binghamton Sports Complex collapsed in the snow storm, it kind of set us back,” said Brian Cornell, GBSC Patriots Coach.

But that wasn’t going to keep this team down. The boys from schools all across the Southern Tier found a new temporary home, and they couldn’t be more proud of what they accomplished. 

“We haven’t had many sports and we’re going to be representing the Greater Binghamton Sports complex. It’s nice to represent our community as a team going to Tampa,” said Cornell.

Coach Cornell helped create the team just four years ago and it’s already growing in popularity. He hopes this year’s accomplishment inspires more kids to get out and get active.

“With the suspension of school sports in many areas, flag football has grown. We’re hoping that this team and this exposure and opportunity they have will bring more of our area youth together to get out, to do something healthy, something physical,” said Cornell.

The games kick off this weekend and we’ll let you know how the team performs.