For a second straight tournament, the Monroe County Special Olympians were nearly unable to compete, as Hurricane Milton had event sites closed following its landfall, but securing qualifiers for the 2024 State Games the South Region Games had to be held, even if it was for just those still striving for a state berth.
That included the Key West Conchs flag football squad, a trio of Monroe County pickleballers, playing their debut season, as well as the Marathon and Coral Shores powerlifting teams, who all made the trip to Nova Southeastern University to complete on Saturday, Oct. 12, during which the athletes from the Keys collected nine gold medals and one silver.
In a two-game bracket, the flag football team, coached by Randy Acevedo and Angel Torres, extended its run to the State Games by securing another trip with a pair of victories versus Broward County and Miami Dade…