Nick Grassi was a standout football player as a linebacker and fullback during his high school career at Calvary Day, and he stayed active after graduating in 2003 by playing in high-level adult flag football leagues.
Now 37, Grassi is back at his alma mater coaching girls flag football, which concluded its second season as a GHSA-sanctioned sport in December.
Behind Grassi’s imaginative offensive play calling and knowledge of the sport, Calvary has emerged as one of the best teams in Georgia. The Cavaliers won the Class A-5A state championship in the inaugural year of the sport in 2020, finishing with a record of 7-0-2.
Calvary Day followed it up with another stellar season this school year as the Cavaliers advanced to the Class A-4A state semifinals, where they lost to eventual state champion Southeast Bulloch. Calvary finished the season with a 16-1 record.
Grassi is the Savannah Morning News Flag Football Coach of the Year.
Technically an assistant coach, Grassi is a fully certified member of the Calvary staff. He said the squad’s success is based on a team approach from top to bottom and credited his coaching colleagues, including head coach Taylor King, a college counselor at Calvary Day, for working so well together to create a winning culture.
“I had never coached girls before, so it was all new for me,” Grassi said. “But it’s been such a great experience. Winning a state championship was exciting, but what was even more rewarding to me was to see the way the girls poured their hearts into it this year.
“When we lost in the state semifinals to Southeast Bulloch, to see how much it hurt them made me respect them even more,” Grassi said. “This all started out as a hobby for them, but now the gloves are off and they are ready to fight. You can see they don’t like the taste of losing — they are so competitive.”
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The first All-Greater Savannah Flag Football team is announced today, and includes Calvary Day stars Mahkayla Premo and Hannah Cail, as well as St. Vincent’s Academy standouts Hayden and Reagan Aliotta.
The first-team selections also are all nominees for the Flag Football Player of the Year for the Coastal Empire High School Sports Awards, presented by Georgia Ports Authority, to be held in the spring. It is brought to you with support from Chatham Orthopaedic Associates. The winner will be the announced at the show. More details about the program are coming soon.
During the live show, these nominees will be honored, along with the top three finalists and the player of the year. All official nominees can receive a free ticket. Check back later in the year for information on how to RSVP.
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The Coastal Empire High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
All-Greater Savannah Flag Football Teams
FIRST TEAM
MAHKAYLA PREMO, Calvary Day, RB, sr.
After helping lead Calvary to a state title in the inaugural season of the sport last school year, Premo had another impressive campaign. She rushed for 670 yards (10.3 ypc) with 19 touchdowns and had 19 receptions for 183 and three more scores. She also was 17-of-17 passing for 80 yards and a touchdown for a Calvary squad that reached the state quarterfinals and finished 16-1.
HANNAH CAIL, Calvary Day, QB/FS, jr.
Cail ran the Cavalier offense well as she completed 57 of 71 passes for 661 yards with 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. She also ran for 285 yards (10.2 ypc) with five rushing scores. On defense, she pulled 13 flags and had three interceptions.
HAYDEN ALIOTTA, St. Vincent’s, QB, jr.
Aliotta was selected as the Area 2 Division I Player of the Year. She completed 179 of 252 passes (71%) for 2,725 yards with 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions. She also rushed for 618 yards and eight scores for an SVA squad that reached the state quarterfinals in its first year playing the sport.
BELLE JACKSON, St. Vincent’s, DE, jr.
Jackson was named the Area 2 Division I Defensive Player of the Year. She had 22 sacks and pulled 51 flags for the Saints, who advanced to the state quarterfinals and finished the season with an 11-2 record.
MEG MATTOCKS, St. Vincent’s, DB, jr.
Mattocks was an All-Area first-team selection. She was a ball hawk on defense with 13 interceptions and 51 passes defended on the season to go along with 45 flags pulled.
KAYLA JACKSON, Richmond Hill, RB, jr.
Jackson, who is also a star soccer player, was named the Area 2 Division I Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
REAGAN ALIOTTA, St. Vincent’s, WR, jr.
Aliotta, the twin sister of Hayden, was a game changer at receiver. She was named the Area 2 Division I Co-Offensive Player of the Year after making 45 catches for 869 yards with 16 touchdowns.
ABBEGAIL NOWELL, St. Vincent’s, WR, jr.
Nowell was a big-time contributor in the Saints’ prolific offense. She was an All-Area first-team selection with 40 receptions for 739 yards and 14 touchdowns.
SCARLETT JACKSON, Calvary Day, DE, fr.
Jackson was a difference maker on the Cavalier defense with her ability to create havoc in the backfield. She pulled 41 flags and had 17 sacks. She also was a playmaker on offense — running for 273 yards and three scores, with nine receptions for 110 yards and two more touchdowns.
TAYLOR ANDERSON, New Hampstead, DE, so.
Anderson was a first-team All-Area 2 Division I pick on defense for the Phoenix, and helped lead the team to the second round of the playoffs and an 8-4 record.
MAKAYLA GRAY, New Hampstead, WR, jr.
Gray is an athletic playmaker for the Phoenix and earned All-Area 2 Division I first-team honors for New Hampstead, which gave eventual state champion Southeast Bulloch a great battle in a 13-12 setback.
MORGAN SOUKHAMNEUT, Calvary Day, DE, sr.
Soukhamneut was a key player for the Cavalier defense with her ability to get into the offensive backfield and disrupt opposing offenses. She was an All-Area first-team selection after recording four sacks with 43 flags pulled.
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SECOND TEAM
Lucy Tuttle, Richmond Hill, jr.
Abby Walsh, Calvary Day, fr.
KK Bradshaw, New Hampstead, sr.
Aryanna Collins, Beach, sr.
Amiya Pretty, Beach, sr.
Thailya Wells, New Hampstead, fr.
Carlee Hurst, Calvary Day, so.
Arianna Poirier, Savannah Christian, sr.
Hannah Summerall, Islands, sr.
Abby McDonald, Effingham County, sr.
Akira Webb, Richmond Hill, jr.
Shannon Lacy, Richmond Hill, jr.
Anna Bridges Smith, St. Vincent’s, so.
Kalyce Watson, Effingham County, sr.
Michaela Sampson, Effingham County, sr.
Kaiya Bryant, Jenkins, so.
Amya Pound, Jenkins, sr.
Talayna Holmes, Johnson, sr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Beach—Aliza Palmer, Kayla Bivins
Calvary Day—Sierra Lowery, Breanna Jones
Islands—Devin Long
Jenkins—Karena Hamilton, Katelyn McCord
Johnson—Diamond Hamilton
New Hampstead—Adiah Gray, A’Kera Jackson
Richmond Hill—Allie Washington
Savannah Arts—Cat Evans, Annie Torres
Savannah Christian—Ava Anderson, Dakota Sellars
Savannah Country Day—Parker Hall, Anna Shelton
South Effingham—Valencia Collins, Anna Elliott, Emily Galan, Isabella Rodrigues
St. Vincent’s Academy—Kyrin Fox, Sofia Moorehead, Rose Williams
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.
