Florida Girls Flag Football 2023 State Championship Previews

The Class 1A and 2A state title games take place today in Jacksonville

We are at the finish line for girls flag football in the Sunshine State and it now culminates in the two state championship games taking place today at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville. 

The Class 2A state title game features a battle of two undefeated teams in Alonso and Fleming Island while the reigning Class 1A champion Robinson faces off against Choctawhatchee. Both contests figure to be exciting as 2023 has been one of the more exciting seasons to date. 

We go ahead and preview both the Class 2A and 1A state championship games that will take place later on today. 

Class 2A (2pm start) 

Alonso (22-0) vs Fleming Island (16-0): The only game of the entire weekend that featured two teams that were undefeated when facing off one another is this one. It’s been no secret the kind of success Matt Hernandez and his group have been having over at Alonso this season. Alonso has been led all season by the dynamic duo of quarterback Mieke Rowe and wide receiver Makenna Sturgis. Rowe has thrown for 4,589 yards and an astounding 87 touchdowns and Sturgis has hauled in 63 passes for 1,143 yards and 30 of those scores. All the talk usually surrounds the pair, but the Ravens have a slew of others that have played really well this spring. Among the names that have stood out are Eryn Klaus (79 catches, 905 yards), Sadie Bode (60 catches, 752 yards), Ella Bode (28 sacks) and Sophie Duong (87 flag pulls). 

On the other side of the spectrum for the undefeated Golden Eagles, they pulled off what many might label a stunning upset in the state semifinal when they defeated Western 20-14. Surprising except to those at Fleming Island. The Golden Eagles have been stacking impressive victories all throughout the regular season and have their own cast of characters that have played well all season long. Fleming Island quarterback Mykayla Maddox has been very efficient all season long, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards, 37 touchdowns and just a mere four interceptions. Maddox really loves to take off with the ball and get first downs and touchdowns with her legs, as she rushed for 1,040 yards and scored 25 times. Junior wide receiver London Jenkins will be Maddox’s favorite target as she’s caught 54 passes for 911 yards and 18 touchdowns. 

Andy’s prediction: Alonso 21, Fleming Island 12 

Class 1A (4pm start) 

Choctawhatchee (18-2) vs Robinson (20-2): One of the hottest teams in the state right now is the Robinson Knights, whom have won six consecutive straight state championships and are gunning for No. 7. What’s been very impressive is the kind of run they’ve been on to end the regular season and through the playoffs. Robinson has won 10 in a row and through the playoffs have out-scored teams 99-7 in the last three contests. To figure out why they’ve been so good over this stretch, you don’t have to look any further than the play of sophomore signal caller Haidyn Spano. Spano has thrown for 4,780 yards and 88 touchdowns for the Knights. Her top two targets at receiver, Katejion Robinson (87 catches, 1,267 yards) and Manasvi Vijayaraghavan (89 catches, 1,100 yards), will have to come up big against the Indians’ defense. Julia Guillermo leads Robinson with 32 sacks and Tammy Jerson has a team-high 94 flag pulls. 

Flipping to the Indians’ side, they’re on a hot streak themselves currently and are riding a 12-game winning streak. Choctawhatchee is coming off a thrilling 20-13 win over Miami Edison and will need every bit of momentum to carry over against a very talented Robinson group. The Indians are led by freshman quarterback Diaris Morales, who has been arguably the best rookie in the state. Morales has thrown for 3,988 yards and 61 touchdowns along with rushing for 614 and scoring 10 times. Junior wide receiver Morgan Grace is Morales’ go-to-target, with the wideout snagging 52 passes for 1,072 yards and 18 touchdowns. Grace doubles up on defense and leads the team with 11 interceptions and Trinity Thomas brings plenty of pressure with her 20 sacks on the season. 

Andy’s prediction: Robinson 27, Choctawhatchee 14 

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.