Varsity flag football triumphed over Aragon High School after a neck-and-neck game on Monday, Oct. 20, ending the team’s senior night on a satisfying note. The Panthers fought until the last quarter, with the score tied 0-0, before senior quarterback Kendall Gorshen pulled through with a pick-six, securing the 7-0 victory.
Head coach Nicole Carter said she implemented a game plan that minimized mistakes and kept the team composed during the game.
“Aragon is good, and they wait for mistakes, and we did everything we could to minimize it,” Carter said. “They trusted each other. They talked. We had good play calling on both sides of the ball and going in with a sense of composure and calm and taking control of the game.”
As the game progressed, the plan helped the Panthers keep Aragon from gaining momentum or creating scoring opportunities.
“Staying calm and not getting frantic, because there wasn’t any points until late in the game, trusting ourselves now we can do it and falling through on defense,” senior wide receiver Haleh Ansari said.
Although the team had no prior experience playing Aragon, senior wide receiver Emerson Burri said they relied on teamwork and preparation to stay in control and win the game.
“We didn’t have any footage or any idea of how they were going to come into this game, and knowing it was senior night, we wanted to give it our all and make it a really special night,” Burri said. “We just came in really confident in our skills, but also humble so that we weren’t overly confident.”
While the band played on the sidelines, the team formed a tunnel for seniors Ansari, Gorshen, Burri, and Brooke Schuman, along with their families. Ansari said she will miss the team’s environment and positivity.
“I’m gonna miss my teammates a lot, there’s such a good, supportive environment here, and I feel like everyone is friends on this team, and it’s gonna be really hard to leave,” Ansari said.
For Carter, the night was bittersweet as she said these seniors played a key role on the inaugural flag football team.
“This is our seniors’ last flag football game ever on this field. We do it for them, every place, for them, every mistake we rectify for them, every time we go in and we’re frustrated, we calm ourselves for them, because it’s all about those four tonight,” Carter said.
Burri echoed that sentiment.
“My teammates, they’re amazing. I love our team bond. We have such amazing team bond,” Burri said.
