Someone once said that offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. In 4-on-4 flag football, defense may not always win you the championship, but it generally puts you in a position to be able to do so.

If you don’t believe it, all you have to do is look at the statistics. And we all know that statistics never lie.

PRIMETIME sits in first place in the Steel Conference, East Division with a record of 4-0. And, of course, PRIMETIME boasts the Pittsburgh Flag Football Leagues leading sacker in Kory Vorum, who has already recorded 11 sacks. PRIME’S own Mike Kelley is tied for second in interceptions with five.

PUCKU currently leads the Iron Conference, North Division with a record of 5-1, and also features a pair of players who are among the defensive leaders. Ryan Lancia is tied for fifth in sacks with six and Josh Linton’s four interceptions puts him in a tie for fourth. Linton is also the league leader with 23 tackles and teammate Travis Dunn sits in third place with 21 tackles.

The BLACK KNIGHTS are currently clinging to first place in the Steel Conference North Division with a record of 6-1 and also feature a defensive standout in Demetrius Carrington, who is the interception leader with seven. Kailon Lyons is sixth in the league with 17 tackles.

Hot on the heels of the BLACK KNIGHTS is SMOKE, who is only one-half game back with a record of 6-2. SMOKE features a trio of defensive wizards. Steven Wagers is tied for fifth in sacks with six, while Darius Spinks and  Majic Grigg have four interceptions each, good for fourth place.

A quartet of second-place teams also boasts individuals among the defensive leaders. Julian Baires-Tweed of LAST CHANCE U, which is in second place in the Iron Conference, Central Division with a record of 3-4, is the third-leading sack artist with seven and teammate Justin Coaxum is tied for seventh with 16 tackles.

The MUD DOGS are currently runner-ups in the Iron Conference, North Division, with a record of 3-4, and are led by Brandon Hill, who sits in a tie for second place with five interceptions to his credit. Shane Kaclik, whose MARS team is currently in a tie for second place in the Iron Conference, West Division with a record of 3-3, has four interceptions, good for a share of fourth best in the league.

Kevin Griffin, whose GOON SQUAD sits in second place in the Iron Conference, East Division with a record of 3-3, is tied for seventh in the league with 16 tackles.  The only third-place team to have a player ranked among the top five of the major defensive categories is the HURRICANES, whose Demond Gowder trails Vorum by a wide margin with eight sacks.

Tackles alone do not necessarily equate to a lofty position in the standings. Sean McCarthy is currently in second place in the league with 22 tackles, but he and his ARCHANGELS teammates in the Iron Conference, Central Division with a record of 2-5. Jayme Williams of CONQUEST has 18 tackles, but his squad has only managed a 2-5 record, good for third place in the Iron Conference, East Division.

The lone exception seems to be BILLY GOATZ, whose only defensive leader is Tom Sherred, who also has recorded 18 tackles. BILLY GOATZ currently leads the Iron Conference, West Division, with a record of 6-0.

So, when you wonder what it is that separates the best from the rest in the Pittsburgh Flag Football League, look to the defensive statistics first and you will get a pretty good idea how they stack up.