By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

RESERVE – Two early touchdowns by the St. John firefighters put the St. John Sheriff’s Office in an early hole they could not recover from as the crime fighters fell to the firemen 28-12 in the second annual Guns and Hoses flag football game at Riverside Academy Saturday.

“There is a new champion in town,” said St. John firefighter Michael Heath Monday. “We are glad to have the trophy but much more excited that we were able to raise money and collect food for some good causes.”

The game served as a way to raise funds for the St. John Sheriff’s Office toy drive as well as build up the food bank for the St. John Ministry of Care in LaPlace.

Heath said the firefighters and sheriff’s deputies were able to raise more than $180 and collected a substantial amount of non-perishable food for the food pantry.

This year’s contest was much more competitive than last year, when the Sheriff’s Office players routed the firefighters on a very cold October morning. Both teams stayed very competitive, and both sides appeared to play very loose throughout the roughly two-hour game.

“Both teams had some fancy touchdown dances,” said Heath. “We all had fun, and we are looking forward to next year.”

As part of a pre-arranged bet, sheriff’s deputies are now required to wash one of the St. John fire trucks. No date has been set for the wash as of yet.