Timber Creek scores late TD, ends New Smyrna Beach's improbable flag football playoff run
ORLANDO — Filled with drama, twists and turns until the final seconds, New Smyrna Beach's deepest flag football playoff run in program history reached a bitter end Tuesday night.
Jarlene Duarte tossed a go-ahead touchdown to Naomi Hamilton with one minute left in regulation, and Isabella Spence sealed a 13-7 comeback victory in the Region 2-2A final with a late interception. Top-seeded Timber Creek (15-1) booked a state semifinal showdown with Pace at 7 p.m. Friday.
New Smyrna Beach, the last Volusia-Flagler team standing, finished with an 11-8 record. The 'Cudas snapped an 11-game losing streak to Spruce Creek in a five-overtime regional quarterfinal classic, and were successful on a decisive two-point conversion a week ago to upset Boone in the semifinal round.
2025 USA Today Top 100: Who are the top rising senior football recruits in Florida?
"Drama seems to follow us a little bit," head coach Josh Vaughn said. "That's how our team is built. We don't throw it around a whole lot, and expect to be in tight games like this. We got the short end of the stick this time."
New Smyrna Beach threw it with precision in a clutch moment to take the lead in the second quarter. Emma Corr fired a 10-yard, fourth-and-goal strike to Charly Baldwin, and the 'Cudas tacked on the extra point via a Taylor Vance reception.
"I knew that safety wasn't coming off me," said Baldwin, who missed a chunk of the season due to a broken pinky finger. "I've been out all year, so nobody's really watching me. I was confident in the route (my coach) gave me.
"Last game, I dropped a big pass, so I was definitely worked up and a bit nervous."
The 'Cudas worked the ball deep into Timber Creek territory before halftime, and crossed midfield out of the break but could not extend their lead. The Wolves countered on their first possession of the third quarter when Hamilton swiveled in between defenders and crossed the line for a 10-yard TD catch. Duarte evened the score on a sneak, following consecutive penalties against New Smyrna Beach.
Just before the two-minute alert, Timber Creek made the night's key defensive play. Kennedy Lewin stormed in for a third-down sack of Corr, forcing a punt from deep in Barracuda territory. Four plays later, Duarte hit Hamilton in stride for the winning score.
New Smyrna Beach will lose a handful of important players to graduation, including Jade Henderson, Brooke Kuczynski and Peyton McRorie, but its core group of offensive skill players is slated to return. Corr surpassed 1,500 yards rushing and passing for the season, and Vance topped 50 catches and 600 receiving yards.
"I don't think any of us girls thought at the beginning of the season that we were going to make it this far," Corr said. "I think all of us are extremely grateful to have this opportunity.
"Making it all this way and then not winning, it does suck. But, it's an amazing opportunity to get. Not every team gets it."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: FHSAA flag football: Timber Creek rallies past New Smyrna Beach
