Clarke Central High School head varsity flag football coach Cherrelle Pass poses in Billy Henderson Stadium on Oct. 2. After graduating the four seniors who started the inaugural team at the end of the 2025-26 school year, Pass emphasized the importance of returning players. “Even though we lost those seniors, there’s still a lot of girls. We have three programs, (including) 12 eighth-graders learning the program in middle school,” Pass said. “So, by the time they become freshmen (and) sophomores, it’s not really rebuilding anything because we’re trying to get them early. It’s just continuing what we’ve been doing throughout.” Photo by Iliana Tejada
CCHS head varsity flag football coach Cherrelle Pass discusses the team’s goals for the season and the legacy of the team’s Class of 2026 players.
Sports Staffer Jack Rumfelt: How do you think losing key seniors from last year will affect the team this season?
Clarke Central High School head varsity flag football coach Cherrelle Pass: Losing those key seniors from last year will affect us in having that true experience. They started the program four years ago, and they saw what a 4-6 season looked like to a 15-3 or 15-6 season, so they were able to definitely see the growing pains and ups and downs that made them appreciate things a little bit more and the grind a little bit more. The girls we have now haven’t necessarily seen that struggle, so I don’t know if they’ll take the same kind of pride. Missing that leadership is gonna be big.
JR: Could you tell me about the inaugural season of the flag football program?
CP: The first season in 2022, we had 10 games on the schedule. The schedule allows you to have 20, but we only had 10. (Myself ) and (CCHS varsity flag football assistant coach Taylor Pass) played football, and his scheme of things was (based) off of football. A lot of his plays for offense were like a football team. After that first year, we realized flag football and football are not the same in that aspect, so we started to learn true flag football plays, and that changed the trajectory of our season. Our first year we (ended with a region record of 4-6. Second year, (with a record of ) 11-6. Third year, (with a record of 15-6. Fourth year, (with a record of) 15-8.
The Clarke Central High School varsity flag football team plays against Winder-Barrow High School in Billy Henderson Stadium on Sept. 9. With the team holding multiple practices throughout the week, CCHS head varsity flag football coach Cherrelle Pass emphasized the importance of ensuring consistency both on and off the field. “(I’m) making sure girls do what they need to do in the building academically, attendance-wise, behavior-wise, so that they can perform on the field. Our first core value is a student-athlete. It isn’t about (just) athletes or (just) students,” Pass said. Photo by Grady Dunston
JR: Who are some younger players you expect to step up?
CP: (Varsity rusher) Phyllisha Parks, she’s a 10th grader and she played majority JV (last year). We moved her up after the JV season ended, and she came and gave us some good minutes (on varsity), so she’ll be a starter this year with us. (Varsity wide receiver) Ryleigh Bush was the lone freshman who started last year, so we’re expecting her to come out and do what she did last year, on top of some. We’re expecting a lot from (varsity wide receiver and cornerback) Lailaa Flanigan, who is a 10th grader. She played JV last year, but she has little spurts where you can see that dog in her.
JR: Would you consider what the team is doing this season as rebuilding?
CP: Rebuilding for me would be trying to teach the Clarke Central flag football way. But even though we lost those seniors, there’s still a lot of girls. We have three programs, (including) 12 eighth graders learning the program in middle school. So, by the time they become freshmen (and) sophomores, it’s not really rebuilding anything because we’re trying to get them early. It’s just continuing what we’ve been doing throughout. The play scheme can potentially change, but how we try to move our program in the direction of holding an excellent standard, I don’t think that’s rebuilding. The turnover is another group of seniors and then another group of seniors just choosing to lead by what our standard is.
Former Clarke Central High School varsity flag football players Cameron Mojock, KK Smith and Sadie Miller (from left to right), Class of 2026 alumni, pose in Billy Henderson Stadium on Oct. 7, 2025. Miller, Mojock and Smith all started playing in the inaugural season for the CCHS flag football team under CCHS head varsity flag football coach Cherrelle Pass. “(Now), Sadie is my JV assistant coach (and) Cameron is my C-Team assistant coach,” Pass said. “Having their presence still on the field can continue that motivation, (coming)
from a former teammate.” Photo by Kye Streetman
JR: What do you think the biggest challenge this season will be?
CP: It’s not even on the field right now. We have to lock in, and that’s a standard that I try to hold within the flag football program: carrying ourselves with this posture of doing the right thing because the right thing is the right thing to do, and that has nothing to do with flag football. That’s just being a person. With that being said, it’s just maintaining academics, behavior and attendance in the building, so they can go out there and play. Because if you look at our roster and know what each girl is capable of doing. I think we may be the team to be in the area. I think we have a really good team to go pretty far in the state playoffs. Also, I know that we have a team that can self-sabotage themselves if they don’t do what they’re supposed to do off the field.
JR: What do you think would make this season successful for you?
CP: Making sure girls do what they need to do in the building academically, attendance-wise, behavior-wise, so that they can perform on the field. Our first core value is a student-athlete. It isn’t about (just) athletes or (just) students. I really try to (make) sure they’re good students. Success is one: making sure that I’m not dealing with any issues that we should not be dealing with off the field, but when I translate to flag, success will be having a winning record and going further than the Sweet 16.
