Alonso girls flag football aiming to repeat as state champs behind program expectations

TAMPA, FLORIDA- Alonso head coach Matt Hernandez doesn’t listen to all the outside noise heading into the season.

He just wants his Ravens to get better every single day and not allow mistakes to compound into more.

Hernandez made a mention of the mistakes that eventually doomed the Detroit Lions in Sunday's NFC Championship game as an analogy of what not to let happen mentally. He's expecting to get better and let the results speak for themselves.

"(Coach Hernandez) is definitely using that analogy of the Detroit Lions' unfortunately lost against the (San Francisco) 49ers, but they let mistakes pile up," Alonso wide receiver Makenna Sturgis said. "He's just getting to the mental side of not wanting mistakes to pile up and work through them."

The Ravens are coming off an undefeated Class 2A state championship last season and heading into 2024, the proverbial target is on their back.

The longtime head coach at Alonso, for everything he’s accomplished in the game of girls flag football, Hernandez just wants his team to be in the conversation once again for a state title.

"Our goal is to just keep getting better," Hernandez said. "If we keep getting better at a good enough pace, then I tell everyone is we will be in the conversation. Everyone says 'Hey, are you going to win another one?' and I just say we want to be in the conversation."

Looking back at the 2023 season, it was arguably the best in program history from start to finish. The Ravens ran the table, going 23-0 on the season on their way to a dominating 33-6 win over Fleming Island for the Class 2A crown.

Mieke Rowe was a big piece to the puzzle last season for Alonso when it came to winning it all, but now the Ravens are breaking in two quarterbacks that are in competition for the starting role, per Hernandez.

One of the signal callers is junior Reya Deane, who was a sophomore on last season's championship team. Knowing the expectations are high once again, Deane is ready to fill the shoes of Rowe, who she credits giving her a ton of advice on playing the position.

"I think just doing the same things we did last season because we know how to play," Deane said. "We just got to keep going with what we know. (Mieke Rowe) has taught me a lot, so I feel pretty confident about the shoes that I'm filling."

The other quarterback Hernandez said is vying for snaps this season is sophomore Gabby Werr, who in Monday's opening tryout looked sharp zipping the ball to receivers. Everything will be made a little easier with the return of top wide receiver Makenna Sturgis to the show.

Sturgis, who also plays on the softball team, was one of the state's top receivers from a year ago and her stats spoke to that and then some. As a sophomore, Sturgis hauled in 73 passes for 1,300 yards and 34 touchdowns. Being the team's No. 1 target for either Deane or Werr will help the offense along in the early going.

Hernandez pointed out Sturgis' leadership being something he's seen improve from his top wideout.

"As much as she with quarterbacks who aren't on the same page with her all the time like (Makenna Sturgis) and Mieke (Rowe) were, she couldn't be any better to (Deane and Werr)," Hernandez said. "You hear a lot about the superstar attitude and diva receiver, she's the furthest thing from that. She is one hundred percent a team kid and some that wants her teammates to be better."

Now preparing for the preseason, which will kickoff at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Preseason Classic at the Ed Radice Sports Complex in a couple weeks, the Ravens are aiming to soar high towards their goals of winning another state championship.

Even with the target right on them, Hernandez is just focused on his group and getting better every single day.

"We're not bulletin board people, Hernandez added. "We don't really need to prove anything and if a team is coming for us or has this target, we're just still going to do what we do.

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl

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