Postseason flag football: Seminole Ridge shuts down Palm Beach Gardens to reach region finals

LOXAHATCHEE — Seminole Ridge rode a suffocating defense to a berth in the 2A regional finals, shutting down Palm Beach Gardens 20-6 on Wednesday night.

Angelina Sanchez tallied two sacks, including a drive-killer in the red zone as the first half wound to a close, and Lola Agosto’s interception helped turn the tide as the Hawks' (13-3) offense went to work.

Jaida Salguero found Cayley Chieffalo for the first score of the game with a pass across the middle of the field, and then second-half scoring catches by Dakota Parks and Sanchez sealed the deal.

The Gators (12-6) tried to mount a late comeback, but heroics by Amya Lane weren’t enough as the final whistle spelled the end of their season.

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Here are three takeaways from the Hawks’ regional semifinal win.

1. Hawks sweep Gators in bid for regional champs

The Gators were hoping that the third time would be the charm. The Hawks weren’t interested in entertaining that fantasy.

After defeating Gardens in each of the regular season and district playoffs, Wednesday’s contest mirrored the regular-season result much more closely.

But despite an undefeated record against their adversaries, this was not a Gators squad that Seminole Ridge ever looked past.

“We’ve been focusing on one game at a time, and nothing’s changed with that because we knew we had to be ready for a great Palm Beach Gardens team,” Seminole Ridge head coach Scott O’Hara said. “We knew it would take our very best effort. We haven’t looked ahead of today, because that’s all that matters.”

The offense certainly did its job when it counted, with Salguero tossing a trio of touchdown passes, with Parks taking control of a drive in the third quarter that gave the Hawks a two-score lead.

But when it came to the defense, a number of players stepped up.

“I think the interception that Lola got really sealed the game for us,” Chelsea Nedoroscik said. “It helped us get to the goal line and score again.”

That turnover was especially important because it seemed the longer the game went on, the more in sync the Gators' offense appeared to be.

“I think defense will always win championships,” said Kyarra Howard, “so having a great defense tonight really allowed us to stop Palm Beach Gardens from scoring and help get our offense the ball.”

2. Gators fall short but celebrate family bond 

Amya Lane shouldered much of the Gators' offense — and during one drive late in the second half, it looked as though her effort might give Gardens a chance at a late-game comeback.

That didn’t come to fruition, and the Gators’ season came to a close — not without some open frustration from head coach Tim Campbell at the officials as they withdrew from the field.

That said, Campbell spoke of the camaraderie and senior leadership that helped propel the Gators to this point in the first place, noting the successes along the way.

“It was a ride,” Campbell said. “It’s unexplainable, just to watch the girls and see where they started, to getting to where they’re at, is simply amazing. The way they bought into the system and took the culture, you can’t ask for more as a coach.”

The Gators will graduate five seniors from their loaded roster, including captains Aliah Reid, Elissia Cooper and Jissele Velez.

However, Gardens can look toward the return of a number of key starters — among them, a dynamic junior class sparked by Amya Lane, Alexa Brewster and Raiyah Harrell to round out the receiving corps for young quarterback Myla Aligood.

3. Angelina Sanchez leads Hawks on both sides of ball

Sanchez was electric in Wednesday’s regional semifinals contest, tallying a pair of crucial sacks on defense and a touchdown to round out the Hawks’ scoring.

While her scoring catch certainly buried the nail in the proverbial coffin of Wednesday’s semifinal, it was her two stops that helped put an exclamation point on an impressive defensive effort from the Hawks.

Her first sack was meaningful. Her second was critical, coming during the final play of the first half.

She pulled the flag just a moment before Aligood released the ball toward an open receiver, ending the scoring threat.

“I just knew that she was the most important person to stop, so you had to shut her down to stop the rest of the team,” Sanchez said.

The businesslike response encapsulates the hardworking Hawks' defense, an element of their play Seminole Ridge will look to keep going when they travel to Spanish River in the regional finals.

The matchup against the Sharks is set to take place on Monday at 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Seminole Ridge flag football shuts down Gardens to reach region finals