The Wellington High School girls flag football team is powered by last season's bittersweet experience.
Last spring, Wellington defeated Seminole Ridge High School for its first regional championship, but seven days later the teams met again in the first round of the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A state tournament, with Seminole Ridge turning the tables. did. And we won 13-6.
Wellington is powered this season by last year's season-ending loss to Seminole Ridge. While the Wolverines look to repeat as district champions this spring, the 16 returning players from last year's team are focused on making a bigger run in the postseason.
Wellington has had a strong regular season under the leadership of head coach Robert Carovy. After 11 games, Wellington has 9 wins and 2 losses. The only setback was a two-game loss at home. They lost 7-6 against Martin County High School on March 27th, and lost 28-0 against Daviess Western High School on April 2nd.
Aside from these losses, Wellington's offense has been prolific this season, averaging 34.1 points per game in each win, while their defense has been stingy, allowing just 39 points and averaging 4.3 points per game. Records points. 9 wins.
For many flag football teams, success depends on the play of the quarterback. Fortunately, Wellington has a strong and talented signal handler in senior Keelin Coleman, who is committed to continuing her flag football career at Thomas College in Thomasville, Georgia next year.
“Keelin has all the tools you need in a quarterback. She's also incredibly hardworking and wants to be as successful as possible,” Carovy said.
Through 11 games, Coleman has thrown for over 2,100 yards and 35 touchdowns. She also rushed for two touchdowns.
It's also important to have a group of athletic receivers who can run crisp routes, catch the football, and run together.
“We are blessed to have a strong receiving corps of Avery Schroder, Angelia Bistrong, Jordan Fernandez, and Samantha Ellis, as well as center Emma Segfeldt and running back Kennady Sider. also plays a big role in the passing game,” Calovy said. .
Fernandez has the most touchdown catches with 11, followed by Schroder with 10.
Wellington has plenty of attacking power, but their defense is also sluggish.
“Our rusher, Sidney Lopez, is one of the best players in the state,” Calovy said. “She's very fast, but she's relentless in her pursuit. Linebacker Mia Brown has one of the biggest motors on the team and is all over the field.”
Lopez has 17 sacks so far this season.
Wellington has a number of returning players from last year's squad, but the squad is getting some inspiration from newcomers.
“One of our key backups is freshman Madison Rice,” Calovy said. “She pushed our starters to be their best.”
Carovy is pleased with his team's strong start to the regular season, but there is room for improvement.
“I'm happy with the start, but I'll continue to look for areas where I can improve and grow as the season progresses,” he said. “In the game against Western, they took advantage of scoring opportunities and we didn't take advantage of them. We should have scored three points in the first half of that game.”
Karovy understands that it will take a collective effort for the team to do well in the postseason.
“We are not resting on our laurels and continue to look for ways to become a better team. We know that our toughest tests are always ahead of us each day. ” he said.
The Wolverines concluded the regular season with a home game against Cardinal Newman High School on Thursday, April 4th. They will then begin the postseason by competing in the district tournament beginning Monday, April 8th.
How Wellington performs in the district tournament will determine its seeding for the FHSAA Class 2A state tournament. The tournament begins with the first of three regional playoff games and concludes May 10-11 in Tampa.
Seminole Ridge wins on Senior Night — Tuesday, April 2, was a night of victory for the Seminole Ridge High School flag football team as they took on West Region rival Palm Beach Central High School (6-8). The Hawks won 13-0.
“Unfortunately, it was a pretty sloppy game with a lot of dropped balls and penalties,” Seminole Ridge head coach Scott O'Hara said.
In the win over Palm Beach Central, quarterback Aubrey Vogel completed 20 of 34 pass attempts and receiver Laura Agosto caught two touchdown passes. On defense, Gisela Negron, Dakota Parks and Sidney Pena had interceptions. Pena also had six flag pulls/tackles.
With the win, Seminole Ridge improved to 10-2 in the regular season.
Seminole Ridge concluded the regular season on Thursday, April 4, when the Hawks hosted Miami's Central High School.
Like Wellington, Seminole Ridge's performance in the same regional tournament the week of April 8 will determine its seeding for the FHSAA Class 2A state tournament, which will be played May 10 and 11 in Tampa. This will lead to a place in the final four. Last year, Seminole Ridge's team advanced to the FHSAA Class 2A state tournament but lost in the semifinals.
