The All-In Flag Football playoff bonanza played out in dramatic fashion, as one team vied for the achievement every team in sports tries to accomplish.
Fans watched the four-bracket, single-elimination tournament to see if the Spartans could complete a perfect season, similar to the 1971/72 Miami Dolphins. But that dream ended when Team Finesse beat the Spartans and denied their quest for an undefeated season.
Even in defeat, Spartans team Captain Delvon Adams said the game took second place to life. He shared a personal moment he had with his teammates at the beginning of the year, not long after the passing of a beloved family member.
“The game is secondary as memories of my teammates greeting me with open arms after hearing the news, that really touched me,” Adams said. “Coach Carlos [Smith] has been saying it all season; to build on each other, pick each other up and they did that for me. It felt great.”
Team Finesse, which finished the regular season with a 6-5 record, pummeled the Spartans, who were 11-0 and chasing the elusive perfect season. Both teams combined to score a record setting 218 points, with Team Finesse winning 114-104.
Emerson R., staff sponsor of the league recalled the day coach Carlos approached him with the idea. “I didn’t hesitate in giving my sponsorship to the program,” Emerson R said. “It’s nice to see that San Quentin supports residents and their sports programs. Sports is a value added program, that builds character and integrity through team work which are foundational pillars of rehabilitation.”
Smith and Emerson spoke about the typical sports story lines that are associated with Championship games — the match-up’s, the stats, box scores, MVP’s and even the dream of an undefeated season.
“This is why San Quentin Rehabilitation Center held the 2025 All-In Flag Football Super Bowl championship, because it establishes the “I’m all-in, you all-in, we all-in” mantra of the coaches and the players,” Smith said. “When this season started, we made a commitment to build this program on integrity and I’m super proud of all of you guys for sticking it out.”
SQRC football league has a vibrant group of 20-to-30-year-old residents, but it also provides an opportunity for longtime, older residents to share the same orbit with younger guys. Smith said that mixing ages enhances peer-to-peer mentoring.
Team Finesse captain, Aaron Moton said, it was difficult to sum up the season in just one word.
“As a captain, I had to emphasize humility, which also helped me to manage my anger, which enabled me to communicate better with my team,” said Moton. “Growth and accountability sticks out to me. We came a long way as a team. There was a little chaos at first, but we settled in to become a well-balanced team on both sides of the ball, and it paid off.”
Key players for the Finesse included Tiaosisi Mantangi (10 touchdowns – eight passing and two rushing), Moton (six touchdowns – three passing and three receiving) and Elijah Walden (two touchdowns and one sack).
Veltreese Mathis led the Spartans with four touchdowns. R. Fiapoto added three scores, while Delvon Adams and June Miles each contributed two and Trey Richards and Eli Guerra each had a score as well.