In its third year as a program, flag football ended the regular season last night undefeated in area play and 17-3 overall.
“The girls are buying in offensively and defensively,” head coach Mark Williamson said. “They are coming together as a team.”
With a smaller team, more players got to play which led to better synergy within the team. This is shown by their defense which in their game against Villa Rica last night made stops at the goal line three times.
“We have gotten a lot closer as the years go by,” senior Emma Arnold said. “You can see it in our communication and chemistry on the field.”
The team struggled throughout the season to find consistency on offense. Starr’s Mill was 0-3 when unable to score more than one touchdown in a game. Even in some wins, the score was too close for comfort. A 6-0 win over Whitewater mid-way through the season was a prime example.
“I want us to focus more on catching the ball,” junior Ella Campbell said. “It’s something that I personally want to work on and us together.”
In last night’s 32-9 loss to Villa Rica, the Panthers threw four interceptions. They followed this loss with a 39-0 win over Hampton to close the regular season.
Looking at the stat leaders for the team this year shows exactly how strong they are. On offense, sophomore Anna Moran leads the team in receiving yards with an average of 25.1 yards per game. Moran also leads the team in total touchdowns with 9. Sophomore Livi Irwin has thrown a total of 22 touchdown passes and is ranked 12th in passing yards with 1,313 yards in Division 2 flag football.
Defensively, sophomore Raegan Collins leads in flag pulls with an average of 3.4 per game. Sophomore Nani Serapion leads the team and is 9th in Division 2 with 11 sacks.
“A lot of people would say that the play where you ran all the way down the field is a key moment,” Arnold said. “But it’s the communication on the field that is really key.”
Starr’s Mill hosts Clarke Central in the first round of state playoffs on December 5.