2023 FHSAA flag football state championships preview

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 2023 FHSAA Flag Football State Championships are taking place this weekend at Mandarin High School, with just eight teams remaining in the two classifications. Here is a look ahead of the matchups and teams in Classes 2A and 1A on Friday afternoon.

CLASS 2A STATE SEMIFINALS

(2) Western (Davie) vs. (3) Fleming Island, 2: It is a rare coincidence that we get a rematch of two teams from last year’s state semifinal in the same exact pairing as it occurred last year. Unlike last year’s meeting, Fleming Island is coming with an undefeated record of 15-0, while Western, who went into the matchup undefeated last season, is heading to Jacksonville with a 16-2 record. However, even with the difference in record compared to the previous year’s matchup, Western has still played the stronger schedule of the two teams who also comes into this matchup as the defending Class 2A state champion, looking to play in their third straight state championship game. Fleming Island will be led by a dynamic duo of Mykayla Maddox and London Jenkins, who has the fire for the team. Maddox is a dual-threat quarterback who can throw it in huge chunks down the field or run it when no one is open. As such, Maddox is 154-of-232 passing for 1,903 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing 85 times for 1,040 yards and 25 touchdowns. Jenkins has 54 catches for 911 yards and 18 touchdowns. What is also neat about Maddox and Jenkins is that both are defensive players that can cause problems. Maddox has 24 flag pulls and six interceptions, while Jenkins has eight interceptions along with 15 flag pulls. Gabi Musa is considered the team’s unsung hero with 68 flag pulls along with four sacks and can be very disruptive to the passing game. To Musa’s credit, she has five interceptions and 11 pass deflections. Western has been rotating two quarterbacks between senior Karly Rayhill and Tamara Elliott for most of the season. Rayhill is 181-of-341 passing for 1,867 yards and 20 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, while Elliott is 125-of-182 passing for 1,441 yards with 26 touchdowns against just three interceptions. The top target for the Wildcats is Nandi Ramessar, who has 100 catches for 1,018 yards and 16 touchdowns. Defenisvely, Isabel Mutschler leads the team in flag pulls at 55 while sisters Kennedy Allen and Keylee Allen lead the team in interceptions together with 12 interceptions each.

(1) Alonso (Tampa) vs. (4) Seminole Ridge (Westlake), 3:45: Seminole Ridge is back in the state semifinals for the first time since 2021, and they will have quite a task against a very talented Alonso team. Seminole Ridge is coming into the game with a 14-3 record, while Alonso has a solid 21-0 record. Seminole Ridge will be led by quarterback Jaida Salguero who is 299-of-469 passing for 2,828 yards, along with 52 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Salguero also has 253 yards rushing and a touchdown. Expect Salguero to be connecting with Cayley Chiefflao down the field, as she is the leading receiver for the Hawks. Chiefflao currently has 53 catches for 726 yards and 11 touchdowns. Chiefflao is also impressive on defense as she is second with flag pulls at 59 and has six interceptions as well, with four of those have been returned for touchdowns. Angelina Sanchez leads the Hawks with 14 sacks and has 29 flag pulls, while Chelsea Nedoroscik leads the team with 11 interceptions. For Alonso, they are going to be led into Jacksonville by the state’s second-leading passer in Mieke Rowe, who is 381-of-513 passing for 4,589 yards with 87 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions. Rowe also accounts for 2014 yards rushing and four touchdowns on her stat sheet. For Rowe, she has a plethora of talent with her on the field that helps her have the stats she has this season, starting with leading receiver Makenna Sturgis who has 63 catches for 1,143 yards and 30 touchdowns. Athlete Eryn Klaus adds to the action for Rowe, who has 79 catches for 905 yards and 12 touchdowns. Other receivers worth noting include Sadie Bode (60 catches, 752 yards, 11 touchdowns), Carina Annunziata (38 catches, 501 yards, 8 touchdowns), and Emerson Lewis (21 catches, 482 yards, 12 touchdowns). And if you thought the Ravens were strong on offense, the defense is even stronger. Klaus leads the team with flag pulls at 112, while Bode, the team’s starting rusher, has collected 28 sacks along with 46 flag pulls. Defensive back Lucy Montiegel leads the team in 13 interceptions, while Sturgis has 12 interceptions.

CLASS 1A STATE SEMIFINALS

(3) Choctawhatchee (Fort Walton Beach) vs. (2) Miami Edison, 5:30: A rematch once again of last year’s state semifinal between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, but this time with Miami Edison as the No. 2 seed and Choctawhatchee as the No. 3 seed. Last year’s meeting saw Choctawhatchee come out on top 21-14, but could it be a different story this year? That is a possibility. Choctawhatchee comes into this matchup with a 17-2 record, while Miami Edison has an 18-1 record, as some very talented athletes lead both teams. For the Indians of Choctawhatchee, it all starts with Diaris Morales at quarterback, who is only a freshman. Morales has thrown for 3,988 yards on 295 pass completions out of 515 attempts. In her efforts, Morales has thrown 61 touchdowns against 22 interceptions. Morales also can be shifty with her feet as she has recorded 95 carries for 614 yards and ten touchdowns. When Morales is in the zone with her passing skills, she has a top target in athlete Morgan Grace who has 52 catches for 1,072 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns. Kaitlyn Eisenberg (45 catches, 795 yards, 15 touchdowns) and Khamauri Hardy (38 catches, 697 yards, 12 touchdowns) are two other targets Morales likes to throw to when they are open. Defensively expect to hear Trinity Thomas’ name from her rusher position, as she leads the team with 20 sacks and has 51 flag pulls. Lauren Bage leads the team with flag pulls at 71, Grace leads the team with 11 interceptions, and Bage is second with seven interceptions. The Red Raiders of Miami Edison are also led by a freshman quarterback in Raykia Louis who, through the playoff game against Archbishop McCarthy, was 214-of-310 passing for 3,565 yards with 29 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Athlete Alexandra Harris is the leading rusher for the team with 56 carries for 760 yards and 14 touchdowns and the leading receiving with 53 catches for 964 yards and eight touchdowns. Other receivers that are favorite targets for Louis include Poetry Auguste (45 catches, 931 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Felicia Wright (60 catches, 830 yards, ten touchdowns). Camille Candidate leads the team on defense with 140 flag pulls, while Harris is second with 130 pulls. Candidate also leads the team in sacks with 61, while Talayah Akhdar has 28 sacks. For interceptions, Auguste leads the team with 11 interceptions.

(1) Robinson (Tampa) vs. (4) Mainland (Daytona Beach), 7:15: The nightcap to close out all of the state semifinals games, first-time state semifinalist Mainland will take on perennial power Robinson. The Robinson Knights seek their seventh consecutive state championship and eighth overall in school history. The six straight state championships in Class 1A are the most consecutive by a girls’ flag football team, along with their current seven overall state championships. As such, the Buccaneers from Mainland have a tall task facing them as they come into this game with a 14-5 overall record, while Robinson is 19-2 overall. Ava Colubiale will lead the way for the Buccaneers at quarterback, who is 326-of-497 passing for 3,463 yards passing with 40 touchdowns against 20 interceptions. Colubiale also has 632 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns as well on her stats. When Colubiale is passing, Kassie Stoner is likely the target she is calling on to catch the ball, as Stoner leads the team in receiving with 89 catches for 1,100 yards and 17 touchdowns. But if you thought you did not have to see Colubiale on the defensive side of things, you were wrong, as she leads the team with interceptions at 12 while having 35 flag pulls to her name. Clinque Maddox leads the team in sacks with 15. Kiera Williams is second on the team with ten sacks while leading the team in flag pulls with 53. Over at Robinson, it all starts with Haidyn Spano, who currently is the leader in passing yards in the state with 4,780 yards completing 393-of-621 passing attempts with 88 touchdowns against 24 interceptions. Spano also includes 234 yards rushing and six touchdowns with her stats. While most teams in the state usually have one leading receiving that might be over 1,000 yards receiving, the Knights have two with Katejion Robinson, who has 87 catches for 1,267 yards and 28 touchdowns along with Manasvi Vijayaragheavan who has 89 catches for 1,100 yards and 25 touchdowns. For good measure, Adriana Williams can eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark this weekend, as she currently has 57 catches for 956 yards and 11 touchdowns. Defensively, the Knights have Julia Guillermo, who leads the team with 32 sacks from her rusher position while also having 84 flag pulls, which is the second-best on the team. Linebacker Tammy Jerson leads the team with 94 flag pulls and has recorded six interceptions. And speaking of interceptions, Spano and Vijayaraghavan lead the team in interceptions with nine.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE

Saturday

Class 2A, 2 p.m.

Class 1A, 4 p.m.