Can’t have a state flag football tournament without Tampa Bay teams

TAMPA — Tampa Bay flag football teams are back in the state championships, this time in their own backyard.

On Friday at One Buc Place, in the indoor AdventHealth Training Center, two teams from Hillsborough County — Robinson (22-0) in Class 1A and Lennard (18-3) in Class 2A — will play in state semifinals.

If one or both teams end the weekend with state titles, it would be nothing short of tradition.

In the previous seven years, Hillsborough County has won state titles in both divisions five times, with Robinson claiming seven straight and eight in the previous nine seasons (not including 2020, when spring championships were canceled due to COVID).

Lennard is making its first trip to a state semifinal after a thrilling run through the playoffs.

Nail-biting postseason victories for the Longhorns included an 8-6 squeaker over Sumner, and then a 19-13 overtime thriller at Alonso, the defending Class 2A state champion that had won its previous 41 games.

Lennard followed that with a 14-0 region final victory over arch-rival Newsome, which won the state title in 2021.

“Winning all those close games and working so hard at practice for so long makes us feel completely prepared for this moment,” said Lennard senior quarterback Abby Elwell, who has started every game since she was a freshman. “We are so excited for us and the school and our whole community. We can’t wait to play.”

The Longhorns’ confidence has been building for five years, or the span of time that coach Travis Combs has led the Longhorns to 66 victories. In the 13 seasons before Combs’ arrival, Lennard had won 28 total games.

“Everyone on the team and the school has bought in to what we’re doing,” Combs said. “We’re all on the same page and we all believe in ourselves.”

Besides the huge victory over Alonso this season, Lennard had another program-changing win last season when it did something no team had done in 11 years: The Longhorns defeated Robinson on the Knights’ home turf, 14-13 in overtime.

While the loss smartly stung Robinson coach Josh Saunders, it also was an encouraging sign for the sport as a whole.

“The game continues to grow and improve at an amazing rate,” Saunders said. “And that fact is great for all of us. There is no doubt that it’s going to continue to get better and better.”

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Robinson returns to state with junior quarterback Haidyn Spano, who led the Knights to their title last year. This year, Spano has completed 368 of 606 passes for 4,055 yards and 79 touchdowns against just nine interceptions.

Leading targets for Spano include Tammy Jerson (92 receptions, 1,332 yards, 31 touchdowns), Ava Godfrey (95 receptions, 794 yards, 19 touchdowns), Sarah Williams (66, 621, 11) and Jasmyn Mitchner (63, 747, 10).

The Longhorns, meantime, feature Elwell (502 completions, 717 yards, 66 touchdowns) throwing to Kate Keith (120 receptions, 1,023 yards, 15 touchdowns), Kyah Vance (97, 1075, 19), Sydney Elizondo (88, 982, 12), Grayce Bird (52, 456, six) and Layla Crawford (47, 537, nine).

State tournament

Friday-Saturday, AdventHealth Training Center, Tampa

Admission is free, but a mobile ticket is required. Visit https://fhsaa.com/sports/flag

Parking is available in Publix Lot 14 off Himes Avenue.

Friday

Class 1A: No. 3 Pembroke Pines Charter vs. No. 2 Choctawhatchee, 4 p.m.; No. 4 Braden River vs. No. 1 Robinson, 5:30

Class 2A: No. 3 Wellington vs. No. 2 Lennard, 7; No. 4 Pace vs. No. 1 Palmetto, 8:30

Saturday

Class 1A final, 4

Class 2A final, 6