Following Greenbrier’s flag football team winning the region’s championship game on Dec. 12 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, team members and a coach reflected on their journey and excitement for this year’s upcoming season.
With a team of 20 female students, only three of which were seniors, Greenbrier won the Georgia High School Association’s Division II Flag Football State championship and has now been nationally ranked number two by MaxPreps.
Although the season started off to a rocky start with a defeat by the country’s best ranked team from Southeast Bulloch, Greenbrier’s students quickly recovered and went on to win 19 games in a row.
After winning the region’s championship game, Greenbrier’s team is strategizing next steps as they prepare to get back into training during the summertime.
With experience coaching middle school football and many other teams, one of Greenbrier’s flag football coaches, Daniel Jordan, said he believes the path to success in 2023 was achievable as a result of team connection and harmony.
“I think because we’re all fathers it has really helped us connect with the team and we almost view them as our own daughters,” Jordan said.
With a team summer retreat prior to the season beginning, Jordan said he also believed an informal and noncompetitive setting allowed for significant foundational relationships to be developed before the girls began field training.
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“It’s important for them to also see us, their coaches, just having fun with them too,” he said. “Some of my best memories were from those three days. We did a canoe race and some of the canoes wrecked, and it was hilarious.”
Following the retreat and several training sessions, Jordan said he attributed the team’s successful season and back-to-back wins to the players’ unyielding focus and determination – despite game injuries.
“This is probably one of the toughest teams I have ever coached,” he said. “Coaching high school boys in football and basketball, you’d probably think some of those guys would be tougher, but I’ll put these girls up against anybody as far as toughness goes … it’s just been impressive.”
With a team built around trust, confidence and an unstoppable force of will, Jordan said his players impressed him at every game.
“They never panicked when a girl got hurt and the replacement stepped in. They just always trusted other girls to do their job and that was pretty cool to see,” he said. “I think it’s pretty unique.”
More importantly, Jordan said the team’s successes are also building and promoting the county’s mission in encouraging girls to take part in additional sports – especially unconventional forms such as flag football.
“There’s not very much youth football for girls. Now that’s changing drastically, and we’re a part of that change,” he said. “The team has been to middle schools and elementary schools, and we’re going to do a kids camp this summer. So, a lot of what they’re doing is laying the framework for other girls in years to come.”
With his own third grade daughter watching many of the flag football games, Jordan hopes his players inspire other young girls to break gender stigma around sports and gain confidence on the field.
For junior Kenzie Horton, who has been a member of the team for three years, playing football has always been a dream, and Greenbrier’s female flag football team presented the perfect opportunity to showcase her skills.
“I have always wanted to play football. When they gave us the opportunity to play flag football for girls, I hopped on it and have enjoyed every moment since then,” she said. “It honestly feels amazing to inspire others, because I was that little girl who wanted to play.”
Growing up with no female football role models, Horton said she hopes to help young girls picture themselves more in pro-football.
“If I was a little girl now and able to see high schoolers like us playing, it would give me the courage to play flag football later on and just do it,” she said.
Sophomore and first year player Abby Lester, who has a background in cheerleading and lacrosse, said she was shocked and thrilled to join the team with no football experience.
“To know that you can try out for the team, without any football experience, and then go all the way to play where NFL teams play in the stadium is amazing,” she said.
In addition to celebrating many victories, Horton said some of the season’s most memorable moments involved spending quality time with the other girls on the team.
“Just being with the team – the bus rides and staying in the hotel,” she said. “The whole bonding experience was a lot of fun.”
As a coach, Jordan said he enjoyed witnessing his team overcome challenges and happily celebrate game after game.
“It was pretty special and it’s been so fun,” he said. “I’m really glad I said yes to coaching.”
From losing their very first game to succeeding time and time again throughout the season, Horton said she knew from the beginning the team had something to prove and the determination to do so.
“At the end of the season, I was just proud because we had done it, and we had finished what we knew we were capable of,” Horton said. “We got to see the end result of that.”
By praying before games and warming up to energetic playlists featuring various artists, Jordan said he was amazed to see his players focus on having fun and enjoying the journey of the season rather than winning.
“That’s really different to a lot of teams. Some teams are really serious during warmups, and we actually found that we play a lot better when they’re just having fun,” he said. “It’s a different mindset, but it’s been really fun to be a part of … when I see the girls dancing to the music playing on the speakers beforehand, I know we’re about to play really good.”
Jordan said he largely believes this “easygoing” attitude allows players to feel more comfortable with making mistakes, giving their all and forgetting any fear during the game.
“It’s weird that it would be a strategy, but it works,” he said.
Coming home champions at the end of the season, Horton said the team was thrilled to feel celebrated and cheered on by their community.
“Hopefully that excitement will remain and people will show up to our games,” said Horton. “It’s nice to have that support system.”
Witnessing elementary schoolers and local families’ enthusiasm, Lester said she could not believe the team’s impact on the county.
“Just to see the little elementary schoolers jump up and down with excitement over high school flag football was really cool,” she said.
As they gear up for another season, Jordan, Horton and Lester said each is confident in playing another great season and representing Columbia County’s strong female sportsmanship and toughness.
“This is only the fourth year we’ve been playing flag football, and every year the level of playing has gone up dramatically,” Jordan said. “So, if we want to win a championship again this year, we’ve got to get better.”
Liz Wright is a staff writer covering education, lifestyle and general assignments for The Augusta Press. Reach her at liz@theaugustapress.com
