Varsity flag football loses 38-6 in state semifinals

BY OLIVIA LEWIS

The girls varsity flag football team made their way to Boca Raton High School on Saturday, May 12 to play in the state semifinals for the second year in a row. The girls played at 1:30 p.m. against Seminole Ridge High School, which was the team the Lady Cowboys had lost to in last year’s state semifinals. Although Cooper City gave everything they had, the Hawks pulled through and won by 32 points.

The Lady Cowboys arrived at the fields at 11:00 a.m, getting there early enough to watch a game and warm up. The girls started to go through plays, pass the ball and stretch. The four captains were called up for the coin toss and then ran back to their teams for the last huddle. The Lady Cowboys screamed their traditional cheer and the starting seven players took the field.

“Although we lost to the same team we did last year, we are going to learn from it and become a better team from it,” Hailey Brown said.

The Hawks started with the ball at the 20-yard line, running on the first play. They were able to gain a lot of yards, bringing them closer to the endzone. Soon after, the Hawks scored their first touchdown of the game. They went for the extra point and scored it, making the score 7-0. The Lady Cowboys gained possession back, but were unable to score a touchdown. The first quarter ended with the Hawks in the lead.

Both teams started to give it their all, competing for the lead for halftime. The Hawks came out stronger than the Lady Cowboys, scoring two quick touchdowns and making the extra point for one of them. Cooper City tightened up their defense, but the half came to an end soon after the second touchdown. The first half ended with a score of 20-0.

“I think we grew a lot as a team,” Sarah Megna said. “Last year we lost some very vital seniors to our team and I think that the people that joined this year stepped up to play.”

With the game coming close to an end, the Lady Cowboys knew they had to play their hardest. Brown was able to get a few throws off, but that wasn’t enough to stop the Hawks. Seminole Ridge scored their fourth touchdown of the game a few minutes into the third quarter, leaving the score at 26-0 with one quarter left.

The Hawks were dominating the game, but that didn’t stop the Lady Cowboys from working hard. Cooper City had possession, making every attempt to score a touchdown. Brown received the ball from the center and looked for an open player. She found Galya Vicnansky in the end zone and threw it to her, who then scored their first touchdown of the game. The Lady Cowboys tried to hold the Hawks from scoring, but were unsuccessful. Seminole Ridge scored two more touchdowns, ending the game with a score of 38-6.

“It was sad to end the season with such a huge loss, but in the end I think everyone tried their hardest in this game,” Hannah Eubanks said. “I think they just outplayed us, but with more practice we can win in the future.”

This article contains comments from The Lariat members Hailey Brown and Hannah Eubanks.

Photo by Casey Chapter