Spruce Creek nearly went wire-to-wire as the top flag football team in Volusia and Flagler counties. The Hawks shook off an early wobble against DeLand, three-peated as Five Star Conference champion and reeled off 14 wins in the space of 15 games.
And then, at long last, New Smyrna Beach had its revenge.
The Barracudas suffered 11 defeats at the hands of the Hawks over the previous four seasons, including in the Five Star semifinal round and the district championship. Yet, they sprung a first-round FHSAA regional playoff upset in Port Orange on April 18.
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New Smyrna Beach rode that momentum to its deepest postseason run in school history — a dramatic, memorable trip to the Region 2-2A championship game . The 'Cudas outlasted Spruce Creek, as well as fellow playoff qualifiers Mainland and DeLand, to be the last local team standing this spring.
The Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the athlete of the year nominees for flag football. The winners will be announced during the live show on Monday, June 3, at the Ocean Center.
The show is presented with the support of Halifax Health.
During the live show, athletes of the year in 30 state-sanctioned sports will be honored. In addition, top teams, coaches and overall athletes will be honored as will a Courage Award winner. Nominated athletes who RSVP will receive a complimentary ticket to the event thanks to sponsors. Details on how additional tickets can be obtained will be available soon.
For more information about the show and to opt into email updates, visit its website and follow it on Facebook .
The Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
This year, one school from the area will win a $1,000 donation to its school’s athletic department through our School Spirit Contest. Vote here until April 1: Show Your School Spirit (gannettcontests.com) .
Nominees
Emma Corr, New Smyrna Beach: The junior dual-threat quarterback had the same number of passing and rushing yards (1,528) and contributed 15 touchdowns to help the Barracudas go three rounds deep in the FHSAA playoffs.
Jade Henderson, New Smyrna Beach: The senior finished the season as the area's leader in flag pulls (119) and the second-leading rusher with 893 yards and four touchdowns. Henderson added five sacks and two interceptions in the heart of the NSB defense.
Chloe Waldo, Spruce Creek: Opposing quarterbacks had difficulty finding Waldo when they dropped back, resulting in an area-high 22 interceptions for the sophomore. She paced the Hawks in receiving, too, with 52 catches for 445 yards and two touchdowns.
Kiera Williams, Mainland: The junior was a standout performer on both sides of the ball for the district champion Buccaneers with 138 rushing yards, 571 receiving yards, 56 flag pulls, 23 sacks and one interception.
Tashia Williams, DeLand: The sophomore helped the Bulldogs snatch a regional wild card as the focal point of the offense, throwing for 783 yards, rushing for 690 and contributing 15 touchdowns.
Zion Wilis, Spruce Creek: The junior rusher topped the local leaderboard with 27 sacks, totaling 47 flag pulls for a Hawks defense that kept nine shutouts and limited foes to a total of 65 points in 17 games.
Other Athletes of Note
Kayla Hill, DeLand: The senior made a team-high 29 receptions for 298 yards and a pair of touchdowns, intercepted five passes and broke up 14 more.
Kaysha Hill, DeLand: The senior was neck-and-neck statistically with her twin sister, catching 26 balls for 286 yards, snatching four interceptions and batting down 16 passes.
Nina Macy, Spruce Creek: The sophomore finished one flag pull shy of the century mark, ranking second locally with 99 (6.2 per game), and grabbed three interceptions from the linebacker spot.
Adrianna Mallumaci, Mainland: One of the Bucs' three senior captains and top centers around, Mallumaci caught 65 passes for 431 yards and three touchdowns as a reliable underneath weapon.
Taylor Vance, New Smyrna Beach: The junior made a handful of clutch grabs during the Barracudas' playoff journey, including a decisive two-point conversion against Boone in a regional semifinal. Vance had 52 catches for 645 yards and four TDs on the year.
Kylie Watson, Seabreeze: The senior, a Girls Soccer Player of the Year nominee, hauled in 29 passes for 291 yards and four touchdowns. Watson picked off three passes for the Sandcrabs' defense, as well.
Top Coach
Josh Vaughn, New Smyrna Beach: The 'Cudas built a challenging regular-season schedule and advanced to a regional final for the first time in program history, ending a lengthy losing streak to Spruce Creek and coming from behind to take down Boone.
Honorable Mention
- Atlantic: Nadiyah Kwaku, Ashley O'Neal, Kianna Stanley, Raniyah Yan
- DeLand: Tatiana Gonzalez-Garcia, Kenna Harkness, Dejah Mitchell
- Deltona: Katie Berrios, Calise Chisholm, Daviona Doby, Shenell White
- Flagler Palm Coast: Nereyda Campos, Jaiya Jordan
- Mainland: Kaitlin Barba, Cadence Haley, Brielle Jackson, Clinique Maddox
- Matanzas: Leilah Goodwin, Camryn Greiner, Eva Servello
- New Smyrna Beach: Brooke Kuczynski, Addi Larson, Nazia Toledo
- Pine Ridge: Greta Carlson, Mary Davids, Thalia Rios-Diaz
- Seabreeze: Caya Asbille, Morgan Long, Carly McNerney, Ylan Phan, Sarah Randolph
- Spruce Creek: Savannah Burress, Anastasia Neal, Lizzie Philips, Jillian Truax
- Taylor: Mylee Fjerstad, Lexi Frank, Lexi Lowe, April Mendoza
- Trinity Christian: Jamerya Ellis, Sarah McManama
- University: Daryan Frost, Alexis Leonard
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Meet your 2024 Volusia-Flagler All-Area High School Flag Football Team
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