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WEST LAFAYETTE — Harrison multi-sport junior Afton Winchester made history on a field she hadn't expected to find herself.
The 5-foot-4 Winchester ran into the end zone that marked the first IHSAA girls flag football game ever played in Tippecanoe County on Tuesday afternoon.
Winchester churned her legs and cut up field 18 yards and scored Harrison's first touchdown in what became the first win in region's history for the first year (emerging) sport 12-6 over Crown Point.
"We're like a family," Winchester said.
A family full of multisport athletes like Winchester.
More: These two high schools are bringing girls flag football to the Lafayette area
VOTE: J&C Athlete of the Week is back! Cast your ballot
Before discovering flag football, she wrestled as a sophomore and played softball as a freshman.
Using her speed and strength, she found the best way to score. Simply run hard and through whatever comes in the running back's path.
"I honestly zone out," Winchester said. "I just think about running. If she's in my way, I don't care. I just run through her."
All three touchdowns scored by both teams came in the first half on the playing field with measurements of 80 yards in length, 40 yards width and extra points being contested from five yards (one point) or 10 yards (two points).
Sophomore Tenley Blankenship caught the game winning touchdown with under a minute in the first half. A pass from sophomore quarterback Evy Baker connected to Blankenship who raced past the 7-player defense of Crown Point for 65 yards.
"I saw my opportunity and I knew Evy could throw it that far so I took it," Tenley Blankenship said. "I couldn't do it without my team."
Blankenship's senior sister Kennedi Blankenship had the final tackle ― meaning flag pull ― in Crown Point's final completed pass play to seal the victory for the Raiders.
More: Harrison girls tennis continues standard of excellence
"We've never played a sport like this before," Kennedi Blankenship said.
Historic for Winchester, coaches and the 29 players whose family members ― likely mothers, aunts and grandmothers ― who each played sports at some point in their lives. But never flag football.
Head coach Lauren Dalder, an IT manager who runs the program was handed the game ball by her assistant coaches Brian Knoy and Adam Wright.
Dalder has been receiving texts and having conversations with strangers at the grocery store, asking her about coaching flag football.
"I didn't know if this would ever be a thing," Dalder said.
And there was plenty of contact as well.
More: Harrison girls tennis continues standard of excellence
Junior Hannah Wright got tackled accidentally as Crown Point attempted to grab her flag. She went off to the sidelines, dusted herself off, took a sip of water and ran back into the game.
"You hear flag football isn't supposed to be that way but that's your first impression," Dalder said. "But if you've been around it long enough, it's going to happen. Same thing with basketball, same thing with soccer. You're going to have collisions and you're going to have things happen."
Harrison took the win as smiles radiated from both teams after the game during the evening that twinkled with cotton candy blue skies.
Contacts, bruises, tape and ointment to cover raspberries.
But a fierce independence in another milestone for women's athletics in Indiana.
"We played powderpuff in high school and I can't tell you how many times I've heard women my age telling me how they wished they had this in school."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Harrison wins first girls flag football game in history of Tippecanoe County
Continue reading...
The 5-foot-4 Winchester ran into the end zone that marked the first IHSAA girls flag football game ever played in Tippecanoe County on Tuesday afternoon.
Winchester churned her legs and cut up field 18 yards and scored Harrison's first touchdown in what became the first win in region's history for the first year (emerging) sport 12-6 over Crown Point.
"We're like a family," Winchester said.
A family full of multisport athletes like Winchester.
More: These two high schools are bringing girls flag football to the Lafayette area
VOTE: J&C Athlete of the Week is back! Cast your ballot
Before discovering flag football, she wrestled as a sophomore and played softball as a freshman.
Using her speed and strength, she found the best way to score. Simply run hard and through whatever comes in the running back's path.
"I honestly zone out," Winchester said. "I just think about running. If she's in my way, I don't care. I just run through her."
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All three touchdowns scored by both teams came in the first half on the playing field with measurements of 80 yards in length, 40 yards width and extra points being contested from five yards (one point) or 10 yards (two points).
Sophomore Tenley Blankenship caught the game winning touchdown with under a minute in the first half. A pass from sophomore quarterback Evy Baker connected to Blankenship who raced past the 7-player defense of Crown Point for 65 yards.
"I saw my opportunity and I knew Evy could throw it that far so I took it," Tenley Blankenship said. "I couldn't do it without my team."
Blankenship's senior sister Kennedi Blankenship had the final tackle ― meaning flag pull ― in Crown Point's final completed pass play to seal the victory for the Raiders.
More: Harrison girls tennis continues standard of excellence
"We've never played a sport like this before," Kennedi Blankenship said.
Historic for Winchester, coaches and the 29 players whose family members ― likely mothers, aunts and grandmothers ― who each played sports at some point in their lives. But never flag football.
Head coach Lauren Dalder, an IT manager who runs the program was handed the game ball by her assistant coaches Brian Knoy and Adam Wright.
Dalder has been receiving texts and having conversations with strangers at the grocery store, asking her about coaching flag football.
"I didn't know if this would ever be a thing," Dalder said.
And there was plenty of contact as well.
More: Harrison girls tennis continues standard of excellence
Junior Hannah Wright got tackled accidentally as Crown Point attempted to grab her flag. She went off to the sidelines, dusted herself off, took a sip of water and ran back into the game.
"You hear flag football isn't supposed to be that way but that's your first impression," Dalder said. "But if you've been around it long enough, it's going to happen. Same thing with basketball, same thing with soccer. You're going to have collisions and you're going to have things happen."
Harrison took the win as smiles radiated from both teams after the game during the evening that twinkled with cotton candy blue skies.
Contacts, bruises, tape and ointment to cover raspberries.
But a fierce independence in another milestone for women's athletics in Indiana.
"We played powderpuff in high school and I can't tell you how many times I've heard women my age telling me how they wished they had this in school."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Harrison wins first girls flag football game in history of Tippecanoe County
Continue reading...
