ARLINGTON – Quarterback #13 Ciara Zino threw a touchdown pass and ran for another, leading her Clay Blue Devils to a 21-0 victory over Terry Parker (10-2) in the FHSAA Class 1A Regional Semifinals. Zino was spectacular, dissecting the heralded Braves defense with completion after completion. She would hook up with five different receivers in the game, showing both her accuracy with short throws and strength with deep throws.
Alexis Stiliano was on the receiving end early on as Zino found her for first downs. Brooklyn Gerush would also get in on the action making key receptions as a safety valve for Zino to move the ball. Abby Hawkins caught a conversion in the end zone and showed incredible tracking ability on a long 30 yard pass down the right side to which Zino put the ball in perfect position. Although it was slow start to the offense in the red zone, they were able to move the ball effectively between the twenties for most of the second half. Both defenses showed why they are two of the best flag football teams in the city as both offenses struggled to put points on the board.
Iroically, it was a defensive touchdown that broke the ice in the first half, when #24 Kimber Griffin intercepted a pass by Parker’s Jazzmyn Simmons and took it 20 yards for a touchdown.
The pick-six shifted the defensive stalemate as Clay took a 7-0 lead into half time. The score would remain 7-0 until the fourth quarter, when #7 Lea Plante would take over. The talented senior would catch a touchdown pass to put Clay up 14-0 in the final period.
On the ensuing drive by Parker, Plante would sky and make an incredible one-handed interception and return it ten yards before a lateral back to Zino, who weaved her way to the Parker 10 yard line. After Ciara would punch it on a short run, Plante would victimize Parker again. This time stopping a potential scoring drive when she dropped into coverage and intercepted Simmons again at the Clay 10 yard line. The play would seal the win and cement the victory for Clay, a 21-0 playoff shutout.
“Terry Parker has two of the most talented players we’ve faced all year in number nine (Kezaria Odoms) and number five (Tanika Mc Donald), so to come out and get a win on the road, and 21-0 nonetheless, I am extremely proud of these girls,” head coach Jay Stiliano said.
With the win, Clay will advance to play flag football power house Choctaw at home Monday in the Elite 8, one win away from the Final Four.
“They are a great team and we will have to play much better than we did tonight, if we want to have a chance to win that game,” Stiliano said.
Clay (12-0) has shown they can raise their game to unchartered heights, and with championship defensive efforts like the one they showed against Parker the title is surely within their grasp.
