Point flag football reaches a major milestone – Valley Times-News

There are always some hurdles for any first-year program, and Point's flag football team is starting to overcome some of its early challenges.

Over the weekend, the Lady Skyhawks played in the Georgia Invitational at Reinhardt College and earned their first win in program history. Point picked up its first win Friday, beating Pasco 16-6, and on Saturday, the Skyhawks beat Reinhardt 19-13 for the second win in program history.

“It was amazing,” Point coach Theseus Jackson said. “We've been so close since we started, but to finally be able to overcome that challenge and come away with a victory was huge, not just for the girls, but for the school as well. The win over Reinhardt was a huge boost for the school. It brought excitement.”

“There have been big wins in any sport, but somehow the win over Reinhardt brought a whole new excitement to the point. It was so exciting to see.”

The first year of a program is typically a rebuilding year. Jackson is starting to find players who will be the cornerstone of the team this year and in the future.

Players like Laney Grace Benefield, Caitlin Rayner, and Maddie Motts were the Stallworths of the program in its early years, but several new players made an early impact.

Destiny Ellison is new to the program as she had to finish her basketball season before stepping onto the competitive bench. Ellison may be a rookie, but he's already made a huge impact on the team.

“This weekend was her first time playing, and she made an impact right away,” Jackson said. “I practiced for three days, [she] Just stood up and did what she had to do. She helped us a lot over the weekend. ”

Kyla Hart is one player Jackson can provide leadership to. Before Hart decided to take the field with the Skyhawks, she joined the program as a graduate assistant. Hart, who started the season as a coach, became a natural leader on the field and the other players responded to her leadership.

“Even after transitioning from coach to player, she has made her presence known and is almost the unquestioned leader of the group,” Jackson said. “When she speaks, all the girls listen. She has been the biggest blessing to me since we started.”

The Point flag football team is starting to win, but the early part of the season was filled with challenges. The Skyhawks started the season 0-4 and struggled to find their footing offensively.

“Early on, it was just getting them to understand that we don't have a full team because of basketball season. Just getting them in the mindset to put the next guy up,” Jackson said. Told. “A lot of them didn't understand it.”
Jackson faces his own set of challenges this season as a first-time head coach. Although Jackson has extensive experience with football and flag football, some of his administrative responsibilities were new to him.

“I'm handling everything by myself, so yes, I still have Kayla as my GA, but there's a lot of things that I know that she doesn't know. I don't want to put her in a bad position or I'm just dealing with it myself because I don't want to give us a bad impression,'' Jackson said. “I had to get used to it.”

Jackson has relied on several athletes from other sports to help young athletes understand what it's like to be a college athlete. Jordan Palmer played volleyball before the season and Benefield played soccer. Palmer and Benefield have played an important role in teaching other athletes about conditioning and taking care of their bodies.

Last weekend was the first time this season that the Lady Skyhawks had most of their roster in place. The basketball club players took to the field for the first time. These additions added point depth and improved the team.

Basketball players naturally learned to play soccer and be active outdoors. Jackson learned to associate basketball and football in order to quickly introduce new players to the sport.

“What I did was try to associate the flag with basketball as much as I could,” Jackson said. “Just yesterday I told one of the girls that this is like a pick-and-roll in basketball. We ran a play and she ran it perfectly.”

The team's new additions are already settling in, and the weekend's win has Jackson excited about the future of his program.

“The first guys were like, 'Oh, we're losing points,'” Jackson said. “It was kind of disappointing. It was stressful at first.” “Being with them helped me think more logically.”

The first few years are typically spent rebuilding, but Jackson has no intention of quitting the team after a losing season. Jackson believes this team has a chance to compete for a national title this season.

“We want to compete seriously,” Jackson said. “The goal is still the same. I want to rush toward the national championship. That's one thing I never want to cut corners on. Being a champion and having players who win championships means… The goal is always to play at the end of the season and the clock hits zero and we get the trophy.”