After an impressive season last year, the Banneker Girls Varsity Flag Football team continues to excel on the field with a 5-4 record in the 2023-2024 season. With so much talent on the team, three extraordinary players were awarded for their accomplishments this season.
Senior Madison Crockett and junior Logan Kirby were awarded the DCIAA 2024 second team all league designation. Junior Rainelle McNeil won DCIAA 2024 Player of the Year and first team all league!
With the help of both Coach R. Williams and Coach C. Williams, the team hopes to get a championship in the near future.
As one of the juniors on the team, Kirby wants to make next season her best. She said her goals for the next season are to “improve as an athlete and win the championship with my team. Being awarded the DCIAA second team all league feels good, but I will continue to challenge myself and get first team next year.”
Similarly, McNeil reflected on a great season and says she expects to keep improving. She said that “playing this year was fun as it allowed me to meet new people and make new friends. When I first joined I didn’t know exactly what position I would be playing because I didn’t really get into football before. But, when I made the team, the things we did came easy to me and I was having fun. Being a quarterback was scary for me at first because I didn’t want to make any mistakes. But after getting used to it, it became a little easier. My coaches also put their trust in me with the ability to run with the ball. This allowed me to score touchdowns myself and also throw the ball to my teammates to score touchdowns. Joining the team allowed me to experience a new a sport and get opportunities from playing it. I am grateful that I was able to receive multiple awards for my performance throughout the season.”
As one of the graduating seniors, Crockett had some encouraging words to share as she heads off to college. She said, “this season was one of the toughest. Over the years I’ve worked hard to make sure I developed my skills as a player and teammate. This season, for some time I wasn’t able to participate physically in any games or practices. So I had to find a way to contribute from the sideline until I was able to play again. In doing so, I made bonds with underclassmen, got a better understanding of the game from looking in, and took time to process how I could contribute when allowed to play again. I worked hard to better myself and the team with the little time I had which allowed my love for flag football to grow. It’s led me to receiving second team all league as well as the opportunity to play in The Big 33 Flag Tournament, which I’m truly grateful for. I enjoyed this season, all the seasons before, and hope the team continues to grow and thrive in the future.”
