Varsity flag football wins regional semi-finals 18-6

BY OLIVIA LEWIS

Colors of red and black filled the Cooper City High School bleachers as the varsity flag football team prepared for their game. The girls had practiced all week, hoping to win their important regional semi-final game against Dr. Krop High School. The girls won regionals last year and advanced all the way to state semi-finals, which is what they hope to achieve this year. The Lady Cowboys are making their way one step at a time, winning their game with a score of 18-6.

With the game starting at 7:00, the Lady Cowboys arrived an hour early to make sure they had a proper warm-up. They stretched, passed the ball, and practiced defense before the referee blew the game whistle. The girls chanted their cheer, and the seven starting players took the field. The Cowboys and Lightning went back and forth until the last two minutes of the first quarter. Quarterback Hailey Brown received the ball and looked for Kimberly Slinkosky, who then scored a touchdown. The Lady Cowboys went for the extra point, but dropped the ball, making the score 6-0.

The second quarter started and Dr. Krop was on offense. The Lightning quarterback threw the ball to one of her teammates, but they dropped the ball. Immediately after, Slinkosky and Hannah Eubanks rushed the quarterback, pulling her flag which led to no years gained. The Lady Cowboys forced the Lightning to punt the ball, having Slinkosky return it. Brown received the ball from the center, but her flag was pulled by the opposing team. In the next play, Brown handed the ball off to Slinkosky who gained yards. Pressure from the Lightning eventually caused the Cowboys to punt the ball. The Lightning tried to run the ball, but Samantha Worley pulled the girl’s flag. In the following play, Worley intercepted the ball and gained a lot of yards for the Lady Cowboys. Three plays later, Brown threw the ball to Galia Vicansky who scored a touchdown. The Lady Cowboys went for the extra point, but dropped it, making the score 12-0 with 3 minutes left. The Lightning had possession and made their way down the field. The quarterback handed the ball off to the running back, who ran it in for a touchdown, ending the first half with a score of 12-6.

“I feel like this year we’ve met our goals so far this season,” Slinkosky said. “We hope to make it further than the state semifinals, and by working hard and staying focused we’ll be able to achieve this goal.”

Dr. Krop started on offense in the second half, making a few runs and gaining a few yards. The Cowboys turned the ball over and started working towards another touchdown. Slinkosky ran the ball and gained a few yards, but the ball eventually went back to the Lightning. Possession went back and forth the entire third quarter, with neither team scoring a touchdown.

The Cowboys came out strong in the last quarter, trying to score another touchdown. The Dr. Krop quarterback received the ball from the center, but Slinkosky and Eubanks rushed her and pulled her flag. In the next play, the quarterback overthrew the ball and turned the ball over.

“We’ve done really well this season,” Brown said. “The defense has really kept us going and kept us in the games.”

Brown handed the ball off to Annie Clark, who gained a lot of yards for the Lady Cowboys. Slinkosky ran the ball next, also gaining a few yards. Clark received a pass from Brown and ran the ball past five players, putting the Lady Cowboys at a good position to score. Brown threw the ball to Vicansky who ran it in for the third touchdown of the game. Cooper City went for the extra point, but dropped it, ending the game with a score of 18-6. The Lady Cowboys will advance to regional finals on Monday, May 7 at 7:00.

“Winning the game truly showed how hard we have been practicing,” Eubanks said. “I think the offense stepped up to the challenge and had one of our best games.”

Final Score: Cooper City 18, Dr. Krop 6

Featured photo by Casey Chapter