A week after the Long County Lady Blue Tide flag football team won its first area championship in team history, they closed out the regular season by celebrating their seniors. On Thursday, November 21, they hosted the Camden County Wildcats and Glynn Academy Red Terrors and shut out both opponents.
With the wins, the Tide finish the regular season 17-2 and will now go into the playoffs with something they have never had: a home game.
In the first game, the Tide had trouble holding on to passes, dropping six in just the first quarter. Late in the first quarter, the Tide finally made a big connection as Miley Maulden hit receiver Kyndall Johnson for a 46-yard touchdown to put them up 6-0.
In the second quarter, after the Tide defense forced their third three and out of the game, the Tide offense found themselves inside the Wildcat 10.
They faced a fourth and goal from the 4 when Maulden went to Kelly Stokes in the front corner of the endzone. She was called out of bounds on the catch and instead of a touchdown, the Tide turned it over on downs.
The teams traded punts before Stokes made a big play for the Tide as she intercepted a pass and set her team up at their own 35.
Makinzie Moody took the handoff and raced 42 yards to the 3, setting up another goal-to-go situation. Jersi Lester capped off the drive two plays later as the Tide took a 14-0 lead into the halftime break.
The Tide defense forced a punt to open the second half and got a long return to the 15 for another goal-to-go situation. Maulden found Amire Saunders over the middle as they went up 20-0.
As the third quarter came to a close, Maulden threw another touchdown, this time to a wide open Moody over the middle for 48 yards as they went up 27-0.
Just before the two minute timeout in the fourth quarter, Stokes came up with her second interception of the game and she returned it 20 yards for the touchdown as the Tide won the first game 33-0.
The Tide wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as France Smith picked up 20 to the 34 and Moody picked up another 15 to the Red Terror 31.
Maulden hit Stokes for 16 yards to the three before Moody finished off the drive from a yard out to put the Tide up 7-0 midway through the first.
Smith came down with an interception late in the quarter and returned it to the Terror 5. Two plays later, Maulden hit Stokes on a one-yard strike to put the Tide up 13-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Tide forced another three and out and a punt to open the second quarter as they took over at their own 39. On the first play of the drive, Maulden hit Stokes on a 41 yard pass to put them up 19-0.
Another three and out and Terror punt gave the Tide the ball at their own 39. Maulden found Johnson for 26 yards to 10 before Stokes grabbed her third touchdown of the half to put them up 25-0.
Johnson pulled down another interception and returned it to the 5 before Maulden threw her fourth touchdown of the half as she found Lester for five yards to put the Tide up 32-0 at the half.
The third quarter went by without much excitement, except for Abbey Tewalkt pulling down an interception. The Tide turned the ball over on downs as the third quarter came to an end.
The Tide forced another punt as they took over at their own 35. Maulden connected with Saunders on a 45-yard strike for her fifth touchdown of the game as they went up 38-0 early in the fourth.
Smith came down with her second interception of the game before Moody closed out the game with a 38-yard touchdown run to make the final score 45-0.
The first and second round of the state playoffs will be played at Veterans Stadium on Thursday, December 5. The Tide matchup with Athens Academy, the four seed out of Area 8, in their first round game. Their possible second round matchup is to be determined.