The Ocala Bucs are national champions. Marion County’s 14U flag football team rolled past the New York City Ravens 33-21 on Sunday to win the NFL FLAG Championships Boys’ Under-14 division, capping a run nobody saw coming from a quarterback who didn’t even start the tournament under center.
Drake Eason threw for three touchdowns and returned two interceptions for scores, earning tournament MVP honors as Ocala pulled away from New York City. According to NFL.com, Eason got the Bucs rolling early with a touchdown pass to Kingstyn Henderson, then connected on a deep shot to Duke Simpkins to push the lead to 15-0. Two pick-sixes turned a comfortable game into a rout, building a 33-13 cushion before New York City clawed back some garbage-time points.
NFL FLAG posted the moment live from the field: NFL (@NFL) shared on X during the run of Bucs interceptions returned for touchdowns — “ANOTHER BUCS PICK-6. They are closing in the 14U Boys Flag Championship at @GrandParkSports” —
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
A Quarterback Who Wasn’t Supposed to Start
Eason’s road to MVP started off the bench. Per WCJB, he wasn’t even the Bucs’ starting quarterback when the tournament opened. He forced his way into the lineup and never gave the job back.
The semifinal against the Giants showed why. Eason opened that game with a one-handed interception he returned for a touchdown, then found a wide-open Ashton Garnes for a go-ahead score in the second half. Ocala trailed with 14 seconds left before Eason hit Henderson for the lead, and the defense sealed it — Dzyreron Simpkins intercepted a final Hail Mary in the end zone to send the Bucs to the title game, according to WCJB.
Nico Ray and the Ravens not giving up!
2026 @NFLFLAG Championships on ESPN/NFLNhttps://t.co/u9u8C2TJ7A to find a league near you pic.twitter.com/c1lCeuABYE
— NFL (@NFL) July 26, 2026
In the championship, Ocala didn’t need late heroics. The Bucs jumped out 21-7 behind another Eason-to-Henderson touchdown, and the defense kept the pressure on: Garnes returned an interception for a score, and Eason added his second pick-six of the tournament — back-to-back games with a defensive touchdown to go with his passing numbers.
| Player | Stat | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Drake Eason | Passing yards (championship) | 168 yards, 3 TD passes |
| Drake Eason | Defensive touchdowns (tournament) | 2 pick-sixes across semifinal and final |
| Ocala Bucs | Final score vs. NYC Ravens | 33-21 win |
| Ocala Bucs | Semifinal score vs. Giants | 19-18 win |
Part of a Bigger Weekend in Westfield
The Boys’ 14U final was one piece of the third annual NFL FLAG Championships, held July 23-26 at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana — marking the first time the event has been staged in an NFL club market, per NFL.com. More than 350 youth teams from all 32 NFL markets competed, alongside international squads representing countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Great Britain, according to High School Football America.
Later Sunday, the Los Angeles Seahawks beat the Austin Texans 15-14 in overtime to win the Girls’ High School title on a game-winning catch by Mya Smith off a scramble-and-throw from Ava Ortman — a finish NFL.com described as a fitting way to close out the tournament. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was on hand to present the Bucs their trophy, NFL.com reported.
Back home, the win has become a local story as much as a football one. Ocala’s WCJB noted the Marion County Juice Bucs brought a national flag football championship back to a city that is “getting an early taste of football season” with the high school year and NFL preseason both approaching.
Why This Tournament Keeps Growing
The Boys’ U-14 and Girls’ High School finals aired across ESPN and Disney’s broader network of channels, part of what NFL.com described as 30 total tournament games broadcast across Disney platforms this year. That kind of live coverage — unusual for youth sports — reflects how far NFL FLAG has scaled since it started as a grassroots participation program. Regional qualifying tournaments, run through all 32 NFL clubs, feed directly into the national bracket, meaning every team in Westfield already won a title just to get there.
