Seminole Ridge suffers first loss of season in 2A state flag football semifinal

JACKSONVILLE — Haylie Young’s 209 passing yards were not enough as Seminole Ridge fell 19-6 to Davie Western in the FHSAA Class 2A flag football semifinal at Mandarin High School.

Quarterback Sydney Ford accounted for all three Western touchdowns, throwing for one, running for one and catching a scoring pass from Tamara Elliott. The Wildcats scored twice in the second quarter to break a 6-6 tie, and then held on through a scoreless second half.

“We had our chances,” said Seminole Ridge coach Scott O'Hara. “We were close several times, but made mistakes when we needed a big play.”

The loss was the first of the year for the Hawks, who end their season 16-1.

“I feel bad for the seniors,” O’Hara said. “But we were one of the top four, and that is pretty darn special.”

Western, now 17-0, moves on to face Lithia Newsome (19-1), in the championship game today at 1 p.m. at Mandarin High School.

The Hawks drove to the Western eight yard line on the opening drive of the third quarter, but a penalty for illegal contact set them back. On fourth and goal from the 18, a pass from Young intended for Chloe Griffin along the sideline was broken up.

Seminole Ridge reached the Wildcats' 10 yard line in the fourth quarter, but Western’s Keylee Allen undercut a corner route by the Hawks’ Alexandrea Wilson and intercepted a Ford pass in the end zone.

The critical sequence came in the waning moments of the second quarter. With just 4.8 seconds on the clock and Western in possession at the Ridge 21, the Wildcats opted for a short pass, hoping that time would not run out as they moved closer to the end zone. Ford completed a sideline pass to Sydney Hoover for 11 yards. The gamble paid off, as Hoover stepped out of bounds with just :00.8 remaining.

Getting halfway to the goal line allowed the Hawks to try a trick play. Ford took the ensuing snap and lateraled to running back Tamara Elliott. Elliott drifted left, looked downfield, and then threw back to Ford at the line of scrimmage. With no one nearby, Ford was able to sprint across the goal line before the Hawks defenders closed in.

“That was pretty important, especially from a momentum standpoint,” O’Hara said of the trick-play touchdown. “That is not the way you want to end a half.”

The Seminole Ridge defense kept the Hawks in the game, shutting out the high-powered Western offense in the second half. Angelina Sanchez intercepted Ford in the end zone to end a Western threat in the third quarter. Sanchez, Wilson and Rylee Jones all had sacks for the Hawks.

Seminole Ridge scored first when Wilson used a height advantage over Wildcats linebacker Jordan Fine to snare a pass from Young from seven yards out on the Hawks’ first possession. Ford converted a third down with a 26 yard completion to Griffin to keep the 58-yard drive alive.

Ford finished with 21 completions in 43 attempts with one interception and one score.