J.R.R. Tolkien may have written the book, but the Southeast Bulloch High School flag football team is quickly becoming the Lords of the Rings.
The Yellow Jackets capped off their third straight undefeated season - 62 consecutive wins without a loss in program history - with their third straight state championship and Tuesday evening they were honored at a celebration as they received their latest championship rings in downtown Brooklet.
“It’s another special day and we thought we’d have it downtown to make things a little different,” said coach Marci Cochran. “We are appreciative of our fans and families for coming out tonight. This was another special season and to go undefeated and win our third championship was so special because the girl’s had to overcome a little more than they did they year before.”
For the Yellow Jacket seniors, they capped off their career with their third championship and were happy to have one more chance to celebrate with their teammates, families and friends.
“It’s so nice to get together with everyone one more time,” said senior Ava King. “We are just like a family and it is great to be with everyone again. It is such a relieving feeling to think back and see that we won a third straight title and these rings are so nice, too.”
The pressure of winning continues for Cochran and the rest of the team. The upcoming juniors have three rings and will get a chance to do something that even the outgoing seniors haven’t done — claim a title for every year of their high school tenure.
“There’s a lot of pressure to keep this thing going,” said junior J.C. Kitchens. “We are excited and we are going to try and play a lot over the summer to get the new players ready and build some chemistry.”
The outgoing seniors wish they had a chance at winning four straight, but have confidence in the returning group to do it again.
“I really think they can win it again,” said senior Alex Odom. “I know I will get the chance to play in college, but I will be checking to see how the team does next year. They got a lot of experience playing with us and I have confidence they can do it again.”
