How the Jenkins flag football team matches up with Greenbrier in state finals
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When the Jenkins flag football team faces off with Greenbrier in the Division 2 State Championship game on Monday, the Warriors will be looking to make school history as the first girls team in any sport to win a state title.
The Warriors will also be looking for a bit of revenge against Greenbrier as the Wolfpack knocked off Jenkins in the state semis last year en route to winning the Division 2 state crown for the second year in a row.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the Warriors are fired up about getting a chance to play on their sports biggest stage.
Greenbrier beat Jenkins 20-13 in the semis last season and then shut out North Oconee 18-0 to win it all at the Benz. The Wolfpack’s star quarterback Kenzie Horton graduated and is now playing at Erskine College, but her successor Addisen Odom is having a stellar sophomore season.
“It was a competitive game,” Jenkins star A’Niyah Browner said. “We didn’t expect them to come out as strong as they did. We’ve watched film of them this year and realized that they come up with different plays that can surprise you at any time. But we feel like we matchup up well with them.”
Odom has thrown for 3,396 yards with 54 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions for a Wolfpack squad with a record of 21-3. Her primary targets are senior Aaliyah Silver, who has 100 receptions for 872 yards and 16 touchdowns, and senior Lexi Lacey, who has 58 catches for 600 yards and 17 scores.
But Jenkins (21-1) has some star power of its own. Browner was the Division 2 Area 3 Offensive Player of the Year last season and is back as a receiver and standout linebacker. Also a star on the Warrior basketball and track and field teams, she recently received scholarship offers to play flag football at Emmanuel University and Milligan University.
I’Yarna “YaYa” Lee is back running the offense at quarterback and the junior is also a standout defensive back.
Senior Malaysia Easley is the starting center, and Angelique Fleming, Iycess Scott and Ke’Ara Jones are playmakers who start on the offense.
Scott doubles up on defense, where Skylar Spaulding is a standout defensive back. Sophomore Savannah Marks, freshman Ca’Niyah Williams and senior Akeelah Younger are also key players on the defensive unit.
“Our offense runs great and it smooth,” said Lee, also a standout on the basketball team. “We just need to play together. If we stay focused and give it our best effort we can win the championship.”
The teams haven’t met this season, but share some common opponents. Greenbrier played Grovetown twice, losing the first game 20-15 and winning the second 13-0. The Wolfpack beat Calvary Day 25-0 in a state quarterfinal matchup.
Jenkins only loss of the year came in a 7-6 setback against Grovetown on Oct. 18, but the Warriors came back to beat Grovetown 27-7 in the state semis. The Warriors beat Calvary Day 32-6 on Oct. 21st.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Jenkins looks to make school history in flag football state championship game
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