With a 49-0 win and three touchdowns from pick-sixes, the flag football team opened its season with a blowout against Jefferson High School on Monday, Sept.15. After two bye weeks, the team used the extra practice time to its advantage and kicked into high gear. Sophomore quarterback Olivia Delucchi credited the performance to their confidence in the plays and their ability to keep pushing.
“We just had a lot of confidence in our route running, and we were very calm out there, and we didn’t let the last play affect us,” Delucchi said. “We just ran straight into the next one and kept our mistakes behind us.”
Coming into the game, Carter said she knew the team was ready. In the team huddle, she focused on building confidence in the work they had already put in.
“We practiced a lot for this at this point, go out there. Show your skill and have fun,” Carter said. “‘I just want you girls to have fun’ — that was the last thing I said.”
In the final minute of the first half, the Panthers scored their third touchdown on a pass from senior quarterback Kendall Gorshen to senior captain and receiver Haleh Ansari. The team continued its offensive push in the third quarter, with senior Emerson Burri scoring a touchdown to extend the lead to 28-0. Head Coach Nicole Carter said she was happy to run more advanced plays thanks to the team’s improved communication and dedication during practices.
“We were lucky to have the bye week just to practice more plays. Get a little fancy. The girls played really confidently and trusted one another so much that we were willing to run some of those plays that we didn’t think we’d be able to run for a couple more weeks, just because they clicked well and communicated,” Carter said. “I think the fact that they have faith in each other and they communicate made it so that we could run some of the more fun, exciting ones.”
The defense was just as strong. Even with big leads entering the third and fourth quarters, the team continued to create turnovers and stretched the lead even further.
“We were very aggressive, straight off the bat, and that helped fuel our later interceptions in the game and later flag pulling and staying hot on defense,” Delucchi said.
Carter said the team’s ability to rely on their knowledge of the game and each other helped them execute key plays.
“They read the ball well, and they also communicate like they’re setting the patterns,” Carter said. “They’re watching the quarterback, and they’re watching the safeties, and they read the ball and do a great job of being first to it. They’re good at catching it at the highest point.”
