The Marion County Juice Bucs, representing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Ocala, Florida, won the 2026 NFL FLAG 14U Boys Championship on Sunday, beating the New York City Ravens 33-21 at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana. The result capped the third annual NFL FLAG Championships, the league’s national tournament for youth flag football teams affiliated with NFL franchises.
Ocala controlled the title game from the opening series. According to NFL.com, the Bucs jumped out to a 21-7 lead, and two pick-sixes pushed the advantage to 33-13 before New York City answered late to make the final score 33-21.
The win doubled as a coming-out moment for the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. NFL.com reported that the Bucs’ quarterback wasn’t even the starter when the tournament began, but he took over the job and delivered three touchdown passes plus a defensive score in the championship. Local outlet WCJB put his total championship-game output at 168 passing yards to go with the three touchdowns.
ANOTHER BUCS PICK-6
They are closing in the 14U Boys Flag Championship at @GrandParkSports 🏆
2026 @NFLFLAG Championships on ESPN/NFLNhttps://t.co/u9u8C2UgX8 to find a league near you pic.twitter.com/BRNSM8HnuY
— NFL (@NFL) July 26, 2026
Getting there wasn’t easy. The Bucs needed a last-second defensive stop in the semifinal round to survive, according to WCJB, which reported Ocala trailed with 14 seconds remaining before scoring the go-ahead touchdown, and then closed the door on defense to advance. That opponent in the semifinal, a Clifton Park, New York-based squad playing under the Giants banner, had entered the weekend on a two-year run of deep tournament appearances after also reaching last year’s semifinal, per News10.
The NFL FLAG Championships bring together youth teams that qualify through regional tournaments hosted by individual NFL franchises, then compete on ESPN and NFL Network under the banner of their affiliated club. Ocala’s team plays under the Buccaneers’ name; New York City’s finalist team played under the Ravens’ name for the tournament.
How the Championship Game Unfolded
Ocala set the tone early and never let up. NFL.com’s recap described a fast start capped by multiple defensive touchdowns, the kind of momentum swing that’s hard for a youth flag offense to overcome in a running-clock format. New York City clawed back late, trimming what had been a 20-point deficit down to 12 by the final whistle, but it wasn’t enough.
| Team | Final Score | NFL Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Marion County Juice Bucs (Ocala, FL) | 33 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| New York City Ravens | 21 | Baltimore Ravens |
What Happened in the Semifinals
Ocala’s path to the title ran through a tight semifinal. WCJB reported that after trading leads late, the Bucs’ defense forced a turnover in the final seconds to seal a 19-18 win and punch the ticket to the championship game.
On the same day, in the tournament’s other headline final, the Los Angeles-based Seahawks representative beat the defending champion Texans representative on a game-winning two-point conversion in the HS Girls division, according to NFL.com.
The 2026 event marks the third year the NFL has staged a national flag football championship for youth and high school divisions, part of the league’s broader push to grow flag football participation ahead of the sport’s planned debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
