Clarke Central High School varsity flag football players train for the upcoming season in Billy Henderson Stadium on April 20. CCHS girls varsity flag football running back Jewel Robinson, a junior, has participated in offseason conditioning workouts led by CCHS head varsity flag football coach Cherelle Pass. “We’ve been doing a lot of workout to help us get our (fitness),” Robinson said. “I got a ladder at home, so I work on my footwork (with that), and then I got a jump rope, (which) helps me with my speed.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer
The CCHS flag football team has used the lessons learned in their inaugural season to launch a renewed attack on the Georgia High School Association playoffs in November.
The Clarke Central High School varsity flag football team didn’t wait long to introduce itself to it’s competition.
Highlights of the team’s inaugural season included their first win in their first game against South Gwinnett High School and a record above .500 until the team’s final two games. But while most would see a 4-6 record and a fifth place finish in Area 6 as a first-season success, CCHS girls varsity flag football running back Jewel Robinson, a junior, wants more.
“(We want) to beat (North Oconee High School). We lost to them twice and that was our last (games),” Robinson said. “This year, I want to make it to the championships (because) it’s gonna be my senior year.”
An infographic displaying the current 2023 Flag Football Schedule is shown. The Clarke Central High School varsity flag football team didn’t wait long to introduce itself to it’s competition, and they’ve used the lessons they’ve learned from their inaugural season to launch a renewed attack. “(We want) to beat (North Oconee High School),” Robinson said. “We lost to them twice and that was our last (games). This year, I want to make it to the championships (because) it’s gonna be my senior year.”
Those ambitions are what has prompted CCHS head varsity flag football coach Cherelle Pass to expand the flag football program, adding a junior varsity team with the expectation of new faces on the roster and increased competition for places on the varsity team.
“I want the girls to know not to get comfortable or complacent. Every day, they’re working for a spot,” Pass said.
In addition to the JV team, Pass has worked to collaborate with Reinhardt University’s flag football program to establish a summer league that will be hosted on Thursdays in front of college coaches.
“It’s a good opportunity because we’re going to get to see how our competitors play and what their weaknesses (are), so when the season comes, we’ll know what they do,” Robinson said. “There’s barely any opportunities for (playing flag football in front of colleges), so that (experience) is gonna be good.”
Although she’s glad to have her first season under her belt, Pass acknowledged that her team was still new to the game and not yet a finished product. However, she doesn’t want that to get in the way of the possibilities flag football can create.
“I want girls to realize that they can pursue college scholarships,” Pass said. “I’m still growing and learning the game, but this (team) is not just an intramural thing.”
