A 27-0 victory Thursday at Dodge County punched a ticket to the state championship game for the Southeast Bulloch flag football team.
The Jackets went 77 games and more than three years before suffering their first-ever defeat, falling 7-0 to Calvary Day, in their regular season finale in November. Monday, however, they have a chance at earning a record fourth-straight title when they take on Columbus at noon in the Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The game will be televised live on GPB.
“Our offense played as well last week as they have in a long time and I feel like we have some momentum,” said SEB head coach Marci Cochran. “Everybody was on the same page and that was nice to see. That gives us a lot of confidence going into the championship game.”
Columbus comes in with a record of 22-6 and were the No. 2 seed out of D-1 Area-1, finishing second to Harris County, who SEB beat, 7-0, in the quarterfinals. The Blue Jackets average over 24 points per game and are allowing just over six points per contest. Quarterback Serenity Hickman has 79 touchdown passes this year and her leading receiver is Alexandria Lofton who has 2,500 yards with 36 touchdowns.
“Their quarterback is good but we feel we can put pressure on her and make it tough on her,” Cochran said. “We really have to watch Lofton as she is their top receiver and best athlete on the team. They usually only rush one on defense, so we are hoping quarterback Emma Cate Barron can use her feet a little more in this game.”
The Jackets (19-1) have played with pressure most of the season as so many expected them back in the state championship game this year. Now that they are less than 24 hours from playing the game, Cochran admits the pressure is still there.
“The players and the coaches here are used to having pressure,” Cochran said. “When you are going for four-in-a-row, it doesn’t matter if you are a new player or an older player, it is just going to be there. The big question is how we react and use that pressure to motivate us or if it tightens us up. We are ready to get this game underway though.”
Cochran had to replace more half her starters on offense and lost some key players off the state championship team from 2023. She said that makes it even more special to get back to the championship game this season.
“It has been a lot tougher this season than it has ever been in the past to get to the championship game,” Cochran said. “We are staying right across from (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) and to see their excitement when they were looking out the window and seeing where they are playing tomorrow shows me how much they appreciate being here and are ready to play.”
Cochran has confidence in the team, but admits there may be some early game jitters to work through.
“Last year we didn’t score in the first half and started a little tight,” Cochran said. “I think you may see a little bit of nerves in the beginning. We just have to do our best to get them settled down and relaxed. I think that will be the key, especially early in the game.”