Lennard High School girls flag football captured the Class 4A State Championship, defeating Park Vista High School 12-6 to secure the school’s first-ever state title in Tampa on May 16.
“It means everything to me to help bring the first state championship to Lennard High School,” said running back Willow Rager. “Being able to make history with this team is such a special feeling because we knew we were representing our school and community every time we stepped on the field. It’s something we’ve worked toward all season, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished together.”
Rager had a key touchdown catch to help beat Park Vista 12-6.
“When I caught the touchdown, my first reaction was just pure excitement,” said Rager. “In that moment, everything felt unreal because I knew how important it was for our team. All the hard work, practices and preparation throughout the season paid off, and being able to make a play like that for my teammates meant a lot to me.”
Head Coach Travis Combs was very impressed with his defense that shut down the opposition, holding them to only six points. A late-game interception by Oryele Roberts sealed the game for the Lady Longhorns.
“My reaction to getting that interception was ‘Wow, I really just did that,’ like it felt almost unreal to make such an impact like that on the game, and I immediately thought to myself that the game is over for Park Vista because our defense didn’t take their feet off the gas all game,” said Roberts. “Park Vista was an outstanding opponent — the only reason we were able to shut them down like we did was because we had an amazing scout team that gave us a perfect representation of Park Vista.”
Lennard (14-7) faced many roadblocks throughout the season. After losing in the district tournament, the team fell short of winning a district title, but that didn’t deter them.
“When we didn’t win a district championship, this team didn’t quit,” said Combs. “Our hashtag this season was #fight4it, and I told them that if we make it into regionals, it’s time to fight, and they did.”
The victory was elating for Combs because it was his last game as the Lennard coach. He accepted a college coaching job to start the women’s flag football team at Indiana Wesleyan University.
“It’s so bittersweet to have won this championship because I didn’t get to try to defend it,” said Combs. “I know the girls will continue to ‘fight 4 it’ and make me proud. This championship was about a team, not one player or coach, and that is what makes it so great.”
Rager will never forget this season and the chemistry that she had with her coaches and teammates.
“I’m just really appreciative of my teammates and coaches,” said Rager. “Everyone played a huge role in this season, and we all believed in each other from the start. We pushed each other every day to get better, and that’s what helped us become successful as a team.”
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