FLAG FOOTBALL STATE FINALS REWIND: Newsome clinches first Class 2A State Championship with a nail biter

After two days of games, a state champion has been crowned in Class 2A for Flag Football for the 2021 season after the 2020 season saw no champion crowned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is a recap of all the action from this weekend’s Class 1A action from Mandarin High School in Jacksonville.

STATE SEMIFINALS

Newsome 33, Navarre 18

In a matchup of two first time teams in the Final Four, it was the show by the Wolves, but more importantly from Devyn Silvestri who made the Raiders feel her wrath on the field not just on offense, but on defense. Silvestri threw for at least three touchdowns, but also picked off the Raiders twice with one being a pick six. Silvestri had a third interception later in the game negated by a Wolves penalty. Navarre tried to make the game close in the third quarter when they closed in within eight of the Wolves but was never able to get any closer as Newsome was able to pull away. Navarre did score late in the fourth quarter to make it a 15 point margin to avoid being mercy ruled. The Raiders finished the season with a 14-4 record in just their second full year of playing flag football.

Western 19, Seminole Ridge 6

In what was the most anticipated game in the whole event at Mandarin, the Wildcats of Western showed the entire state that just because the other opponent is a known state powerhouse did not scare them at all. Instead of folding quickly after their first drive ended in a punt and seeing Haylie Young complete here only touchdown pass of the game to Alex Wilson to take an early 6-0 lead with about 6:00 minutes to go in the first quarter. After that Western found their answer with just about minute left in the quarter to knot the game all up at 6-6 thanks to a Sydney Ford rushing touchdown from about 11 yards out. Ford would score three different ways in the game with a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown that made the difference in the game. Ford would finish 20-of-30 passing for 212 yards, one passing touchdown and two interceptions while Young for Seminole Ridge would go 19-of-39 passing for 163 yards with her lone touchdown.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Newsome 20, Western 19

In a state championship with first-time teams, fans were not disappointed with a fun and tight state championship game put on between Newsome and Western. However, it wasn’t smooth at first for the Wildcats when Stout threw a pass right into the hands of the defense, well the hands of Devyn Silvestri, who had put on a show the night before in the state semifinal. Silvestri would make the Wildcats pay with touchdown pass to Kayla Ludwig to take a 7-0 lead with just under three minutes left in the first quarter. Western would see their second drive stall out around midfield which gave the Wolves great field position. With that field position they were able to capitalize again with another Silvestri to Ludwig connections with under 10 minutes left before halftime. However, Western started to figure out Newsome’s defense with the Wildcats driving down the field with Sydney Ford finding a connection to Sydney Hoover in the end zone to cut the lead for Newsome down to 13-6. Things got shaky as the minutes wained off the clock for Newsome when Jordan Fine intercepted a Silvestri pass that they would capitalize on with a touchdown pass with Ford connecting to Hoover once again to make 13-all. Ford and Hoover would connect again with about three minutes left in the third quarter to take their first and only lead of the game with a 19-13 lead. The missed extra point would come back to haunt Western when Silvestri would capitalize on a rushing touchdown with just 10 minutes left in the game and Newsome’s defense holding the line to pull of the nail biting state championship victory. Newsome finishes the season 20-1 overall as the Class 2A State Champions. Western finishes the year 17-1 overall.