Border Battle: Team Indiana Flag Football Knocks Off Kentucky, Now Going for Gold

During preparation for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, Team Indiana’s flag football faced Kentucky two different times.

Both times, Indiana won.

On Wednesday, Indiana made it three wins against Kentucky as the team built a 34-6 lead by halftime on its way to a 49-12 victory.

This time, the win resulted in a spot in the gold medal game at USA Games, set for Thursday against Missouri.

“Facing a team for the third or fourth time, it’s one of those ‘How many times can you beat the same team until they’ve caught on?’ kind of thing, so preparation was stay consistent, just continue to play the way we practiced,” Team Indiana coach Josh Elizondo of Madison County said. “This being the third time that we’ve played them, we kind of knew what we were getting, but whether they had adjusted to us yet (was unknown).”

Indiana was 3-0 at USA Games going into this border battle and carried that momentum by scoring the first 34 points.

On the first play of the game, Quarterback Sam Benitez handed the ball off to Kyle Barton, who ran all the way to the end zone. He added the PAT for a quick 7-0 lead.

On Kentucky’s first possession of the game, Derek Thurber intercepted the ball and ran to the 1-yard line. Benitez lobbed to ball to Josh Griffin on the ensuing play for a touchdown.

Griffin forced a safety on Kentucky’s possession, making it 15-0.

Khalil Lewis then scored his first of four TDs before Kentucky turned it over on downs. On Indiana’s first play, Thurber went from defense to offense and caught a TD pass from Benitez for a 27-0 lead.

Indiana again forced a turnover on downs and responded with a score. That’s when Lewis got his second TD, and Barton added the PAT.

Kentucky finally got on the scoreboard in the closing seconds for a 34-6 score at halftime.

Indiana had the ball to start the second half. On fourth down, Benitez launched the ball the length of the field to Lewis for a TD. Andrew Youngdale ran in the PAT.

After Kentucky scored, Benitez’s son, Emanuel “Manny” Benitez, took over at QB and connected with Lewis for a TD and Dustin Jent for a PAT.

Lewis had another game to remember on the big stage.

“Nothing major, just another casual day,” he said, smiling. “That brings my TD total to like 12 TDs, eight interceptions, two of them being pick-six, but I’m not keeping track or anything. I’m just trying to do my part to help the team win gold.”

He credited his teammates for the offense clicking at USA Games.

“Honestly, it’s really these guys,” Lewis said. “I came late into the season. They already had a team. I was on the basketball team. Once basketball season was over with, the person who was on the team didn’t show up, so it was like, ‘Hey, do you want to play?’ Me playing high school football, never really getting the chance to actually showcase my skills, I was like, ‘Yeah, why not let me do it on the big stage? Let me go out here and show why I should have been in college somewhere doing something.’”

He said the team has chemistry in basketball, too.

“When we come to the football season, it’s a lot easier because we knew our emotions, we knew the attitude, we knew how each person functions on a team, so we just plugged in what’s best and just do what’s best for the team,” Lewis said.

As good as Indiana was on offense, the defense was stellar.

“We’ve just got that bend-and-don’t-break defense,” Thurber said. “We’re going to do the stuff underneath, and we’re coming to collapse as a group on the ball. We had two fourth-and-goals, and we stopped them. Defense wins championships, and we know we can score, so we’ve just got to stop them.”

He also noted how the team has clicked at USA Games.

“We’ve just practiced and practiced and practiced, and then just knowing where each other’s going to be, communication goes a long way, especially on defense,” Thurber said. “If there’s an under route, you’ll see us out there pointing, like, ‘Hey, we’ve got speed to the left.’”

Indiana is excited about the opportunity to win a gold medal. Elizondo said it will be a matter of playing one down at a time.

“Do not try to look ahead too far, always look at ‘This is what we’re starting on, this is what we’re starting with,’” he said. “Yes, you scout a team and you can see what their athletes do, but you’re not looking to see for schemes and things like that, just how do we match up and what can we do to push forward.”

So what’s it going to take to win?

“Take care of what can be controlled and let it play itself out,” Thurber said.

“Stay locked in,” Lewis said. “Like I’ve been telling these guys all week and even during basketball season, ‘Stay ready, don’t got to get ready,’ and that’s what we’ve been doing all week. We come out in the first half all gas, no brake, and then second half, we’re pitching a shutout.”

The team wants to leave USA Games with a great memory.

“It’s been life-changing, something that I’ll remember the rest of my life,” Thurber said. “Win or lose, it’s been nothing but fun.”