Smooth sailing
Lauderdale Lakes girls go undefeated, win middle school flag football title
Vikings go undefeated, win title in middle school girls’ flag football. Page 8
Bennett Wyche knows how to get the most out of his players.
After coaching the Lauderdale Lakes Middle School boys’ basketball team to its first-ever perfect season, he led the school’s girls’ flag football team this year to its firstever perfect season, capping a 14-0 season with a 14-6 victory over Dillard Middle School in the recent Broward County championship game.
The team’s win at Nova High School in Davie brought home the first girls’ flag football crown in school history. The sport was brought back after its suspension five years ago due to budget cuts.
“To see the girls when they first came out for that first practice and didn’t know how to play flag football, and then to see them out competing and not giving up on one play was awesome,” said Wyche, who will still teach at the school but will be coaching at his alma mater, Stranahan High, next year.
“I wanted to go out with a bang,” Wyche said. “The kids at Lauderdale Lakes are very athletic, and they are good in the classroom. … They have the drive, and they want (to succeed).”
Dillard jumped out to a 6-0 advantage in the first quarter as Janiyah Eggelletion hauled in a 40-yard scoring toss from Genovea Johnson.
Facing a fourth down and 10 late in the first half, the Vikings decided to go for it, and it paid off as Allison Lewis caught a pass from Jateria Jackson and dashed 60 yards for the score. Lauderdale Lakes converted the extra point when Jackson found Jayla Palmer in the end zone for a short pass and 7-6 lead.
Palmer, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and one of 12 eighth-graders on the Vikings’ 17-player roster, also had a key interception prior to halftime.
“Winning a county championship as an eighth-grader, it’s a 10,” said Palmer, 13, of Fort Lauderdale. “It is very cool. … It is a team game, and we did this together.”
Lauderdale Lakes opened the second half with an eight-play, 60-yard scoring drive that culminated with a two-yard run by Palmer to make it 13-6. Victoria Noel added the conversion run for the final margin.
Lewis,13 and of Fort Lauderdale, sealed the win with an interception with less than a minute left.
“I wasn’t really expecting (the pick), but I had my eye on the quarterback and saw her throw it and just did what I had to do,” Lewis said. “To go undefeated and win the title is really, really big. … I
am looking forward to getting a banner, a jacket and then rings.”
Kewenda Lilavois, 14, enjoyed being a part of the squad. When the game ended, she paused at midfield before celebrating with her teammates.
“I was thinking about how great and exciting this is,” said Lilavois, of Fort Lauderdale. “We made it this far for a reason. It was great that they brought back flag football because I got to experience a championship. If you play your part, you win as a team.”
The Panthers fell for the second time this season to Lauderdale Lakes as they also lost in the inaugural Miami Dolphins’ middle school flag football tournament.
Dillard coach Richard Belizaire huddled with his players after the game and told them how proud he was of them.
“We didn’t go lying down,” Belizaire said. “The girls really stepped up and wanted this a lot. They lost to a talented team and a talented coach. This is going to be a memory for a long time. I have never had a team like this that worked so hard.”