Golden Eagles grounded: Unbeaten Alonso tops Fleming Island in FHSAA flag football final
It took only one possession for Fleming Island to get an up-close view of what 22 other opponents had already found out.
Tampa Alonso flag football is good — really good.
Championship good.
"They just do everything well," Fleming Island head coach Clint Lyons said.
Alonso turned up the scoring and lifted up the Florida High School Athletic Association championship trophy, ending Fleming Island's title quest 33-6 in Saturday's Class 2A final at The Corral in Mandarin.
First place in the national MaxPreps rankings, the Ravens left little doubt.
Eryn Klaus caught three touchdown passes and Alonso (23-0) completed a Tampa sweep on the First Coast — Tampa Robinson also won the Class 1A title — with a performance that cemented their season among Florida's best ever.
"A lot of us have been working four years for this," Alonso senior quarterback Mieke Rowe said. "We've put so much work and dedication into this program, so the results show hard work pays off."
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GOLDEN EAGLE HIGHLIGHTS NOT ENOUGH
Fleming Island (16-1) fought to the end, and for a sliver of the second and third quarters, they showed signs of mounting a comeback like the rally that took down 2022 champion Davie Western on Friday.
Quarterback Mykayla Maddox rounded the end for a 6-yard touchdown rush to finish off Fleming Island's best drive and cut Alonso's lead to 20-6, and after beginning the third quarter with the ball, the Golden Eagles advanced to near midfield.
But Makenna Sturgis picked off Maddox's pass over the middle, setting up the second of three touchdown passes from Rowe to Klaus. Alonso never looked back.
The Ravens limited the damage from the elusive Maddox, staying patient and spying the quarterback while blanketing Fleming Island's wideouts downfield. Ella Bode recorded two sacks and Sophie Duong relentlessly pulled flags near the line.
"Ella Bode did a tremendous job of just staying in front of her," Alonso coach Matt Hernandez said. "We just said, don't let her beat us with her legs."
SPEEDY START FOR RAVENS
Senior quarterback Rowe, who entered with staggering statistics (381 of 513 passing, 4,589 yards, 87 touchdowns and 11 interceptions), victory closes her high school career on a memorable note.
Rowe marched the Ravens methodically down the field to cap the opening drive with a touchdown pass to sophomore speedster Sturgis (63 catches, 1,143 yards, 30 TD on the year. Klaus then intercepted Fleming Island's second attempt, reeled in a Rowe touchdown pass moments later. In an instant, Alonso led 14-0.
"I think it set the tone for the whole game," Rowe said.
Against Alonso, struggles like Fleming Island's are par for the course: The Ravens piled up 789 points this season, while allowing just 98.
"They're crisp in every phase of the game," Lyons said.
HISTORIC FLEMING ISLAND YEAR CLOSES
The defeat closes a historic year for Fleming Island, only Northeast Florida's second state flag football finalist. Mandarin lost to Seminole Ridge in the 2013 final.
The Golden Eagles held their first 10 opponents scoreless this spring, and since February 2022, they've gone 32-3 with two of their losses against champions (Alonso on Saturday and Davie Western in the 2022 semifinal).
For next year, Fleming Island must find successors for multiple seniors, including Maddox, but Lyons expressed confidence that the program can build on a firm foundation.
"There's still a lot of young players coming through and we have pretty good athletic girls at our school," he said. "So I feel like we can have a pretty solid team."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school flag football 2023: Alonso defeats Fleming Island in final
