Girls flag football in Section 4 has gone from a sport of newcomers two years ago to one of seasoned players vying for state titles.
Cortland High School will host the inaugural New York State Public High School Athletic Association semifinals and finals in Division I (large schools) and Division II the weekend of June 1 and 2.
The teams in the Elmira-Corning region ‒ Elmira, Horseheads and Corning ‒ are joined by two-time sectional champion Binghamton and Ithaca in Division 1. The section's Division II includes 12 teams. Top four in each advance to the sectional tournament for the right to face Section 3 foes in sub-regionals.
This is year three for the sport at Horseheads, which now has enough players to field a JV team that is competing against Binghamton, Vestal and Ithaca.
"I think last year was a big difference from the first year because then you added sectionals and it was kind of more real," Horseheads coach Kevin Hillman said. "I think to the girls it’s another sports season with playoffs and all that stuff. ... We're seeing a little more growth. For some of these girls it's their third year."
This is season two for Elmira and Corning. Express coach Jimmy McCauley said the added year of experience is evident as players provide more feedback on the sidelines or during timeouts.
"We have some returners that played last year and they’re picking up on some things so much quicker," Elmira coach Jimmy McCauley said. "One of the harder positions is quarterback. They’ve got to know theirs plus everybody else’s."
As for whether the season has taken on more urgency, Hillman said not really.
"I think when we played these guys last year, it's a good rivalry, good intensity," he said after a 20-6 loss to Elmira. "I think it's a great atmosphere."
Said McCauley: "This is how we take it: We're going to try to win them whether there's a state tournament, whether there's only sectionals. ... I try and not make things a bigger deal. We try to win games."
Standout individual performances have been many. Some examples:
- Elmira's Emersyn Garvin had three first-half touchdowns in a 25-7 win over Corning.
- Horseheads' Jessica Als hit 24 of 32 passes for 202 yards and two TDs in a an 18-6 victory over Ithaca, her third game with at least 200 yards passing and two touchdowns.
- Corning's Grace Robertson went for five touchdowns in a 59-0 victory over Johnson City and rushed for 225 yards in a 21-12 win over Ithaca.
- Horseheads' Caitlyn Slavin has had four games of 10 tackles or more among the Blue Raiders' first six contests.
26 impact players
Karis Adams, Horseheads, junior
Irish Alonzo, Elmira, senior
Jessica Als, Horseheads, junior
Riley Austin, Corning, sophomore
Miley Baker, Elmira, junior
Julia Busch, Corning, junior
Peyton Butts, Horseheads, sophomore
Ellie Clearwater, Elmira, senior
Jacqueline Crisco, Corning, junior
Ella Devlin, Elmira, freshman
Taylor Evans, Corning, senior
Emersyn Garvin, Elmira, senior
Natalia Gieldon, Corning, senior
Kaliah Gross, Elmira, sophomore
Piper Hooey, Elmira, senior
Abby Johns, Horseheads, senior
Brooke Johnston, Corning, senior
Madi Jones, Elmira, junior
McKenna Kempton, Corning, freshman
Emily Klotz, Elmira, senior
Marloe Laughlin, Horseheads, junior
Jayda McFall, Corning, senior
Hannah Nichols, Corning, senior
Grace Robertson, Corning, senior
Hannah Smith, Corning, senior
Caitlyn Slavin, Horseheads, junior
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
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