Injury plays role as Pines Charter loses in state flag football final
The Pembroke Pines Charter Jaguars flag football team’s season ended on Saturday in Tampa.
But, according to coach Keidran Willis, it kind of ended on Friday.
The Jaguars – in the greatest season in program history – made it all the way to the Class 1A state final on Saturday only to lose to powerhouse Tampa Robinson, 27-6.
But the Jaguars, who finished their season with an 18-4 record, were not at full strength. During their 25-19 state-semifinal win over Choctwhatchee on Friday, Pines Charter lost star wide receiver Madison Ojeda to a leg injury.
Less than 24 hours later, they had to face Robinson, which has now won eight consecutive state titles.
“I knew it was going to be tough, especially without one of the best receivers in the state,” Willis said of Ojeda. “She’s also our safety.”
In the win over Choctawhatchee (16-1) on Friday, Pines Charter quarterback Ava Rivera tossed four touchdown passes – two each to Kayla Gomez and Jasmyn Daniels.
It was Pines Charter’s ninth straight win – a streak that started on April 3.
On Saturday, Pines Charter played Robinson to a 0-0 tie in the first quarter, and the Jaguars trailed just 6-0 with less than one minute left before halftime.
However, Robinson scored with six seconds left before intermission to make it 13-0, and the Knights cruised from there, improving their record to 24-0.
Pines Charter scored on a Daniels touchdown in the fourth quarter, which was significant. It marked the first points allowed by Robinson in more than one month.
In fact, the Knights had blanked six straight opponents before Daniels found the end zone.
“We moved the ball against Robinson,” Willis said. “But we had trouble punching the ball in.
“Robinson is a well-oiled machine. They play year-round with travel ball and tournaments, and the sport is second nature to them.”
Willis said he primarily used eighth-grader Khalia Sprouse to replace Ojeda.
“Khalia’s brother, Jeff Sprouse, won a state title for Pines Charter in boys’ basketball a couple of years ago,” Robinson said. “Khalia is very athletic, but she’s young. She hadn’t been in those big moments before.”
Even so, it was a great season for the Jaguars, who had never previously made it to state.
Willis, who has coached the Jaguars since 2017, will return the core of his team for next season, including Rivera, Ojeda, Jocelyn Garcia and Gomez.
“We had one of the most potent offenses in the state this year,” Willis said. “We had two 1,000-yard receivers in Ojeda and Garcia. Rivera passed for 55 touchdowns.
“It was a great experience, and a lot of people at our school are realizing how successful we were.”
