Flag football preview: 4 defending GHSA champions ready for title defense

Flag football season kicks off for hundreds of Georgia high schools next week, but only four will face a specific challenge this year.

McEachern, Pope, Greenbrier and Southeast Bulloch will try to defend state championships.

Each program has a specific way to attack potential complacency and the temptation to focus on last year’s title. They’re also facing internal challenges, including replacing elite talent at key positions.

Here’s a look at how all four GHSA flag football champions are approaching their title defense, along with where each program stands with personnel as the season looms closer.

McEachern

McEachern has entered the last few seasons chasing an elusive state title, but for the first time they are defending the title.

McEachern returns a dominant senior class looking to improve on its 70-3 all-time record. The senior group has only lost one regular season game in three years and is fresh off a 29-0 season.

The Indians are fighting complacency with a re-adopted slogan from last season: “Work Harder, Nobody Cares,” which always keeps the focus on the next achievement.

Leading that senior group is standout receiver Desirae Holley, who led the Indians’ attack last season. McEachern also returns starting receivers Amari George and Cayley Windham.

Center Zoey Moriarty, linebackers Aaliyah Summers and Ah’Lier Maybeth, safety Ava Couzens and cornerback Gabriella Soris also highlight McEachern’s returning starters.

McEachern coach Jake Burgdorf expressed excitement about a new starting quarterback in junior Ava George and cornerback Zahray Toregano.

Burgdorf doesn’t know exactly what McEachern will look like this season, but he expressed confidence in its core identity.

“One thing that we will never do, we’re never going to lay over and quit,” Burgdorf said. “We’re going to play to that last whistle, we’re going to be hard-nosed, we’re going to run to the football on defense, we’re going to play fast, but you just never know.

“And I know what to expect from them, and I just hope that we get out of them what we expect.”

Pope

Pope is tasked with replacing the most starting production of any 2024 state champion team.

The Greyhounds graduated multiple starters, several of whom were two-way starters, leaving three offensive and four defensive positions up for grabs.

However, Pope coach Kevin Fraser said there is strength in turnover after a championship. The new starters aren’t tempted revel in last year’s title, because they want one of their own.

It’s the same message that Fraser preached last season.

“Technically, you guys, this new group, didn’t really do anything yet,” Fraser said about what he told his new starters in 2024. “So they’re getting a chance to go play in Mercedes-Benz for the championship, and I mean, I don’t think I have to motivate you to do that.”

The Greyhounds return plenty of talent, headlined by 2024 Georgia Flag Football Coaches Association Division III Player of the year Abby Bensman. The starting quarterback returns alongside center Kate Davenport, running back Claire Huebecker and receiver Talley Schuver.

Senior Lily Joswick and junior Elizabeth Kelly will fill in gaps at starting receiver.

Greenbrier

Greenbrier is also trying to win its third consecutive state title but doing do under new leadership. Former defensive coordinator James Smith took the program over after former coach Daniel Jordan accepted an assistant principal position at Greenbrier Middle School.

Smith didn’t have to build new relationships with his team, but he will have to replace a starting quarterback, two receivers and two defensive backs.

Smith knows what excellence at Greenbrier looks like, and he especially wants to see it survive the coaching change for his senior class.

“Not only do I have that pressure ... but I also have that, you know, these are our seniors,” Smith said. “These are these girls that we have been with from the beginning and have built this program. And it’s a lot of pressure trying to make sure that we do send them out on a good note.”

Smith will have the help of returning starters in wide receiver and linebacker Aaliyah Silver, defensive captain and linebacker Sophie Campanaro, running back Lexi Lacey, center and linebacker Abby Lester and rusher Darcy Bridwell.

Smith will start sophomore Addisen Odom at quarterback with names like Jayla Ayler and Jordan Harvey fighting for starting cornerback spots.

Southeast Bulloch

The state’s most dominant program over the last four years will return plenty of veteran talent, led by a strong senior class.

Southeast Bulloch will start its pursuit of a fifth consecutive state championship with seven seniors that will all start. The Yellow Jackets believe they’re even more prepared after competing this summer in the Unrivaled Flag Football High School Girls National Tournament at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Southeast Bulloch was one of eight teams invited — the only from Georgia — and finished in fourth place. Coach Marci Cohen believes the combination of wins and losses was great for her program entering another title defense.

“They realize we did get beat this summer, we do have a lot to learn, we saw other teams that were better than we were,” Cohen said. “We thought we were the best, and then we end up going to play other teams that ended up being a lot better than we were, according to the scoreboard.

“And so that really helped, I think, playing better competition, playing different people, and seeing different schemes that are out there that we had never seen. I think that just makes them want to come to practice more, realizing, hey, we aren’t the best.”

Southeast Bulloch returns 2024 GFFCA Division I Player of the Year Natalya Odom, receivers Laina Erickson, Kayla Adams and Hali Long. Junior Emma Cate Barron will start at quarterback and safety with returning linebacker Kelsey Johnson.