Who were Alabama’s best flag football players in 2024? See the Terrific 20

Was there any doubt that Gerritt Griggs would be a star when she decided to take up flag football at Central-Phenix City?

When she trotted out on the football field, she was already a Division I softball prospect at shortstop (eventually signing with the University of Alabama) and a solid double-figures scorer on the Red Devils’ basketball team.

The past two seasons, Griggs and her teammates have won every game – 37 straight – and captured two state Class 6A/7A championships. This season, 19-0 Central-Phenix City was named the No. 1 team in the nation by USA Today and by the MaxPreps computer ranking.

Coach Mitchell Holt’s team’s two-year domination has been almost mind-boggling. The Red Devils have allowed only four teams – two per year – to score in double figures. In 2023, Central scored 32.8 points a game and allowed 4.6 with eight shutouts. The 2024 team scored 44.4 points a game and surrendered 2.6 with 13 shutouts. Griggs has been the starting quarterback for all three of her years on the team.

“She is just a special athlete, a special kid,” said Holt, who also coaches the Central softball team. “There’s not anything she can’t do. Really, you wouldn’t know by talking to her that she is as an accomplished athlete as she is. If you watch her, it wouldn’t take you long to figure it out.”

In 2023, Griggs completed 113-of-177 passes for 1,687 yards with 32 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. As a senior, the 17-year-old completed 69 percent of her passes (217-for-315) for 3,284 yards and 82 touchdowns with 3 interceptions. She ran for 471 yards and 13 more TDs and caught 7 passes for 140 yards and 2 more scores.

For her efforts this season, Griggs has been named AL.com’s first Miss Football to lead the Terrific 20 flag football players from across the state.

Griggs has played all three years that Holt has been head coach of the flag football team, joining the team in its second season at Central along with other softball players asked to play by their coach.

“He wasn’t planning on making me a quarterback,” Griggs said. “I started as a wide receiver. Most of us played softball, so we knew how to throw. It was getting that spiral and accuracy. Four of us ended up rotating at quarterback in practice and we just found that people were better at different positions. It was fun getting to learn a lot about every position.”

Griggs credits the Devils’ success to their coaches and quality athletes on the squad.

“A lot of it was our coaching,” she said. “Coach Holt and coach (Brent) Bell had experience as (flag football) referees and putting plays together for flag. It became what it became. We just kind of figured it out, just doing what we did. Our athleticism just took over.”

Griggs also got some quality coaching closer to home – actually, at home. Her mother, Susan Griggs, had been head coach at Russell County before stepping away for a couple of years. She came back to teach at Lakewood Primary School in Phenix City and coach with Holt for both flag football and softball.

“It’s great that she’s there,” Griggs said. “She really helps me as a player. She is harder on me than anybody and it can be hard sometimes, but it makes me better as a player. It’s pushed me past my expectations and her expectations. She’s good at the mental side. She does a leadership class with the softball seniors that helps us grow our relationships with faith and keep us as the best leaders we can be.”

Griggs comes from a coaching family from her mother’s side. Her great grandfather, the late Van Deerman, is a member of the Alabama High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame after he coached 25 of his 33 years at Jacksonville High School. He compiled a 545-283 record with 20 20-win seasons. Her grandfather, Mike Deerman, is in the Calhoun County Sports Hall of Fame – along with his father. Mike Deerman coached at Weaver for 30 years where he was head basketball coach for 25. He started Weaver’s baseball program and coached the team for six seasons.

As big Bama football fans, Griggs said she had experience tossing a football while tailgating with her family in Tuscaloosa and in backyard games. “Alabama has been my dream school for a long, long time,” she said of her scholarship to play for Patrick Murphy’s softball Tide. “A couple of weeks after you could get an offer, I went there on a visit and I committed on campus.”

The first Miss Football said she is confident that the sport is going to continue to grow in Alabama.

“I think it’s going to be really big in the future,” Griggs said. “It’s coming to the Olympics in 2028 and is going to grow from here. It’s kind of just the beginning. I was excited for the experience I had – and we had – as a team. To compete at the state level and have that national ranking was really cool to see for a sport that had just come to our school.”

AL.com asked the AHSAA’s flag football coaches to submit nominations for the Terrific 20. The team was selected based on those nominations and staff input.

Miss Football is counted separately from the Terrific 20 team. Here is the rest of the team, listed in alphabetical order:

2024 FLAG FOOTBALL TERRIFIC 20

Tierra Agee, Opelika

A running back, wide receiver and linebacker, Agee was a terror on defense. The senior had 122 flag pulls – that’s 8 a game – with 16 sacks and 11 interceptions. Agee also had 6 receiving touchdowns.

Colby Cook, Central-Phenix City

A junior cornerback/wide receiver for Central, Cook caught 37 passes for 614 yards and 16 scores. She finished with 30 flag pulls and had 5 interceptions in her two state championship games. Cook has committed to play soccer at Lipscomb University in Nashville.

Hayden Fitts, Montgomery Catholic

Just a sophomore, Fitts completed 229-of-396 passes this season as the Knights earned a state championship in the 1A/5A classification with a hard-fought 14-7 win over Moody. Fitts passed for 1,400 yards and a dozen touchdowns.

Samarian Franklin, Wenonah

The senior quarterback/linebacker threw for an amazing 5,424 yards in 25 games with 102 touchdowns. That’s four scores a game. A slippery runner, to say the least, Franklin ran for 2,715 yards and 47 scores. She was 77-6 in four years as a starter for the Dragons. She had 105 flag pulls, 17 interceptions and 7 pick-6 touchdowns in 2024.

Madi-Marie Grayson, Alma Bryant

The junior wide receiver/cornerback caught 57 passes for 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns and ran 23 times for 153 yards. She had 30 flag pulls and 9 interceptions with 2 pick-6 TDs. She is the twin of fellow Terrific 20 choice …

Mari-Margret Grayson, Alma Bryant

The junior quarterback/linebacker ran for 561 yards and 13 touchdowns and competed 134-of-211 passes for 1,876 yards and 36 touchdowns and was intercepted once. She had 66 flag pulls and 9 pick-6 TDs on 14 interceptions.

Brooke Hallman, Auburn

The senior quarterback completed 227-of-354 passes for 2,602 yards and 38 touchdowns. The lefty was intercepted 12 times. Hallman also scored 7 rushing touchdowns, running for 335 yards. Hallman has signed a basketball scholarship to North Alabama and has scored more than 1,300 points in her career.

Mariah Harrison, Central-Phenix City

The junior wide receiver/safety/quarterback finished with 1,749 total yards and 37 touchdowns for the Devils. She caught 59 passes for 912 yards and 22 touchdowns. She completed 32-of-52 passes for 640 yards and 15 touchdowns in relief of AL.com Miss Football Gerritt Griggs.

Peyton Hull, Hewitt-Trussville

A senior wide receiver/linebacker, Hull caught 84 passes for 1,102 yards and 22 touchdowns. She also had 12 interceptions to go with 72 flag pulls, 2 behind the line of scrimmage.

Chenelle Hunter, Spain Park

The youngest player on the Terrific 20, the eighth grader showed she could play with the best in the state in the 6A/7A classification this season. Hunter caught 45 passes for 433 yards for 12 touchdowns. She also had 61 flag pulls and 9 interceptions at safety for the Jaguars.

Abby Johnson, Daphne

A junior, Johnson caught 59 passes for 1,054 yards – 17.9 yards per reception – for 17 touchdowns. She also completed the one pass she threw for a 66-yard touchdown. She had 9 interceptions as well.

Emma Kile, Moody

The Blue Devils didn’t keep track of statistics this season, but Moody relied on its senior quarterback. Kile led Moody to the 1A/5A state championship game where her team battled but fell 14-7 to Montgomery Catholic. Kile completed 14-of-29 in the title game for 164 yards and a touchdown, outdueling fellow Terrific 20 quarterback Hayden Fitts. Her long completion of the day was the 56-yard touchdown throw for Moody’s lone score of the day. She also had 4 flag pulls and 2 interceptions in the title game.

Natalyn Lumpkin, Central-Phenix City

The senior wide receiver/linebacker had 69 catches for 1,296 yards and 33 touchdowns and led the state in points scored. She also had 10 rushes for 55 yards and returned 15 punts for 113 yards. Lumpkin finished with 56 flag pulls, 20 for a loss, with 7 sacks and 5 interceptions.

Lanieya Page, Prattville

A junior wide receiver/linebacker, Page caught 85 passes for 1,288 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Lions. She also had 15 punt returns for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns. She finished with 44 flag pulls, 5 sacks and 6 interceptions. Her coach called her “the best two-way player in the state.”

Julia Rose, Vestavia Hills

Rose completed 50 percent of her passes, hitting 338-of-677 for 5,126 yards and 76 touchdowns. She was intercepted 14 times. The junior quarterback also ran the ball 17 times for 72 yards and 2 scores.

Anna Russo, Montgomery Catholic

The junior running back/linebacker finished the season with 82 total flag pulls and 11 interceptions. She ran for 280 yards and had 245 more in pass receptions with 10 touchdowns. Russo also averaged 40 yards per punt for the 1A/5A champion Knights. In the state championship, she finished with 7 flag pulls, had a pass break-up and punted three times for 34.7 yards per kick with two downed inside the 20.

Kloeanne Smith, Homewood

Smith caught 66 passes for 862 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore for the Patriots. Two of her receiving touchdowns were for more than 50 yards. She also had a rushing touchdown and a pair of flag pulls behind the line of scrimmage.

Ally Supan, Central-Phenix City

The senior linebacker/running back was key to the Red Devils’ offense. She had 3 rushing touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 215 yards and 6 touchdowns. Supan also threw for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns, completing 22-of-28 throws. She registered 108 flag pulls, 35 for a loss, with 10 sacks and 7 interceptions.

Makyla Williams, Wenonah

The senior wide receiver/rusher caught 177 passes for 3,540 yards and 54 touchdowns. She also ran for 8 scores, gaining 304 yards on 28 carries. Williams rolled up 160 flag pulls with 17 interceptions and 12 pass break-ups.

Ryleigh Wood, Hewitt-Trussville

The senior quarterback threw for 2,360 yards for the Huskies, who fell in the state playoff semifinals to Spain Park. She also ran 63 times for 317 yards and 5 touchdowns.

2024 Miss Football

Gerritt Griggs, Central-Phenix City

The senior University of Alabama softball signee passed for 82 touchdowns this year in leading the Red Devils to their second straight unbeaten season and a national championship. She completed 217-of-315 passes (69 percent) for 3,284 yards and 82 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions. In two unbeaten seasons, she was picked off just six times in 492 throws.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mitchell Holt, Central-Phenix City

It’s possible that Holt brought more knowledge about flag football into his job three years ago than any other AHSAA coach. The coach – of softball who was recruited to add flag to his duties – had spent hours at Jacksonville State University officiating the game under the direction of Mark Jones and Allen Gilbert, who both taught sports officiating at JSU. (Jones later became the AHSAA’s director of officials after 42 years handling officiating chores in high school basketball, football and baseball.) “I grew up playing a little flag football. In the ‘80s, you played flag football when you were 5-6-7 and 8 years old at local boys clubs before tackle football. Officiating it at Jacksonville gave you the background of knowing the ins and outs of it.” The proof is on the scoreboard and in the record book. The coach’s knowledge and his ability to bring together athletes from others sports to the football field and teaching them to work hard has resulted in a national championship, back-to-back state titles and a 37-game winning streak over the past two seasons. His first team went 12-5 and lost to rival Auburn in the playoff quarterfinals.

HONORABLE MENTION

Shayla Barnes, Russell County

Eriana Benson, Prattville

Skylar Brooks, Oxford

Maggie Brown, J.B. Pennington

Neubian Brown, Russell County

Anna Grace Bull, Northside Methodist

Savannah Carter, Oxford

Kate Chandler, Prattville

Lex Charqueno, Daphne

Mya Crawford, B.C. Rain

Malaya Crowell, Smiths Station

Callie Davis, Vestavia Hills

Kennedi Ellis, Russell County

Morgan Felton, Homewood

Sydney Freeman, Northside Methodist

Madison Gary, Smiths Station

Aubrey Gregg, Daphne

Kennedy Hockman, Moody

Jenna Kate Hutchison, Spain Park

Haley Ishman, Montgomery Catholic

Jaylin Jackson, Wenonah

Maci Jacobs, Sipsey Valley

Lauren Joyner, Alma Bryant

Mikeriah Laland, B.C. Rain

Chloe Leahy, Vestavia Hills

Gabby Lindsey, Oxford

Hartley McCay, Prattville

Jamie McGuire, Montgomery Catholic

Kaylin McRee, Westminster Christian

Amber Mangina, Spain Park

Audrey Major, Homewood

Dasia Matt, Daphne

Molly Mitchell, Vestavia Hills

Emma Moore, Prattville

Alyssa Mose, Alma Bryant

Brooke Norred, Smiths Station

Raegan Oliver, Sipsey Valley

Rory Payton, Spain Park

Amaurie Pearson, Hewitt-Trussville

Brecken Phillips, Hewitt-Trussville

Risa Redditt, Elberta

Elizabeth Riley, Westminster Christian

Alexis Rubin, Vestavia Hills

Addie Rutland, Hewitt-Trussville

Serenity Rutledge, Moody

Kayori Ryan, Central-Tuscaloosa

Savannah Sevier, Central-Phenix City

Ja’skylar Simpkins, Spain Park

AP Slaten, Westminster Christian

Emily Spooner, Vestavia Hills

Kylee Stephens, Oxford

Zoey Terry, Moody

Dahja Tinsley, Wenonah

Alyssa Turner, Northside Methodist

Layne Turner, Vestavia Hills

A.P. Virden, Sipsey Valley

Romajah Walton, Wenonah

Sophie White, Moody

Ellie Kate Williams, Moody

Mariah Williams, Daphne