Staten Island Giants win Girls 18U title at NFL Flag Championships 

CANTON — 21st July, 2024 — Understanding the importance of every possession in the game, Michael Colt, the coach of Staten Island Giants, was well aware that there was no room for wasting any opportunities.

Therefore, when his team took the offensive with a minute and a half remaining before the break, he was searching for momentum.

The pivotal series discovered by Staten Island propelled the Giants to a 28-7 victory over the APEX Predators Chargers at the Girls 18U title game in the NFL Flag Championships. The game took place on Sunday in Canton, Ohio.

Colt said, “At the end of the half, I aimed to snatch a possession, even if it meant using all three timeouts. I desired to grab that possession since I was aware they would start with the ball in the second half. I didn’t want to let the momentum shift.”

“We executed a substantial play, advancing a couple of yards down the field. I declared, ‘We’re going to give our all on this drive.’ And that’s precisely what we did.”

The Giants successfully made four straight passes, advancing the ball to the Chargers’ 6-yard line, with enough time left for one more play before half-time. A defensive holding penalty in the end zone then provided Staten Island with an untimed play from the 1-yard line.

Valentina Fanetti quickly darted Olivia Rijo, establishing a 14-7 lead for the Giants who maintained their advantage subsequently.

Fanetti, despite her initial three unsuccessful pass attempts, managed to complete 14 consecutive passes, scored four touchdowns, and made four conversions. Her outstanding performance earned her the Most Valuable Player title for the game.

“Afterwards, she said, “I owe it to the girls. They shared their observations with me, and I shared mine with them. We gave our best effort.”

We unanimously decided to give our all on our routes, regardless of the situation. Whether acting as a decoy, receiving the ball, or drawing the opponent’s second or third look, we ran our routes with utmost intensity. This is the hallmark of a championship team.

After initially struggling, which involved being sacked on the first play from scrimmage, Fanetti found her rhythm. She later connected with Jade Mazziotta for a 15-yard touchdown, securing the Giants’ first score and leveling the game at 7-7.

Allison Gandlin, who was honored as the NFL Flag Player of the Year at the NFL Honors earlier this year, made two touchdown catches in the second half. The touchdowns were from 8 and 5 yards away, with the second one coming immediately after the APEX Predators lost possession of the ball due to a turnover on downs.

The Chargers appeared sharp at the start, quickly advancing with their initial possession.

Brooklyn Hill caught a flawlessly positioned pass from Maci Joncich, subtly nudged her foot into the back corner of the end zone, and scored for APEX to establish a 7-0 lead.

Despite only finishing with 58 yards passing due to the constant pressure from the Giants and their good coverage, Joncich still managed to perform. Jaylani Palmer contributed with four catches for 32 yards.

Together, Rijo and Gandlin achieved 11 receptions for 94 yards for the Giants.

Fanetti completed 14 out of 17 passes for 116 yards with zero turnovers. Despite her serene demeanor after the game, she confessed that it didn’t reflect her actual emotions.

“She declared, “I am certainly in an emotional state. Although it’s not visible now, I might have a breakdown later. These girls are like my family… We are united because we’re the top 10 and we function as one. We genuinely support each other, and it brings tears to my eyes every time I say this, but my love for each of these girls is unwavering. I will always stand by them.”

The victory marked the end of a lengthy journey for the Giants.

“In 2019, we, a group of young women, launched this program,” Colt shared. “Some of these girls were part of the initial team we selected to travel with. Tragically, we lost our co-founder, Coach James, during the COVID pandemic in 2021. Despite this loss, we made a triumphant return to the NFL Flag Nationals later that same year, securing our first national championship in the 14U girls division. The victory was even more poignant as it was where we won our first summer nationals. To return and conclude the girls’ journey here has been an extraordinary experience,” Colt continued.

The weekend in Canton was deemed a success by Stephanie Kwok, an NFL vice president in charge of Flag Football.

“She spoke highly of the 280-team tournament, saying it was everything they hoped for and beyond,” she exclaimed. “The ability to highlight all these teams, boys, and girls was incredible. Ensuring they had a weekend where they were the center of attention and in the spotlight was essential.”

“Following the broadcast, I believe it was outstanding. ESPN excelled in highlighting all teams. The energy was palpable as I walked around the grounds – from parents, coaches, and players alike,” she further added. “The experience here at the Hall of Fame was simply fantastic.”

Semifinals

APEX Predators Chargers 28, Bad Rabbits Raiders 7

During their semifinal, Joncich and Palmer executed four scoring plays, which included a 45-yard length-of-the-field play, leading APEX to a 28-7 victory over the Bad Rabbits Raiders.

APEX took the lead with a safety after Bad Rabbits fumbled in the end zone. In the next possession, Joncich connected with Palmer, who expertly toe-tapped in the end zone’s back corner, completing a 13-yard touchdown play.

On the last play of the first half, The Bad Rabbits managed to score. Camila Urzua passed the ball 4 yards to Sofia Ayala, who then converted it, making the score 9-7. The duo had earlier successfully executed a 14-yard pass that paved the way for the score.

The momentum continued into the second half, as the Bad Rabbits moved into scoring position with the first possession. However, a Sinai Carter interception for APEX halted their drive.

Two plays afterwards, Palmer caught a pass over his shoulder from Joncich and ran it 45 yards. Soon after, an interception by Hill allowed for a shorter field. Joncich and Palmer then scored from the 2-yard line, extending their lead to 22-7.

The tandem ended the scoring with a 3-yard TD play in the final minute.

Joncich managed to complete 11 out of her 17 passes, which covered 143 yards. Palmer, on the other hand, had 94 yards from six receptions.

Urzua completed 11 out of 20 passes for 104 yards for the Bad Rabbits. Ayala received six passes for a total of 53 yards.

Staten Island Giants 7, Texas Fury Falcons 0

Fanetti connected with Janasia Wilson for the game’s only score on a third-and-goal pass from the 7-yard line, securing the Giants’ victory in a defensive battle. The decisive play occurred with just 2:06 remaining.

The Fury retaliated by advancing to the 11 in the final seconds. However, the game ended when they failed to complete at the 2.

The only significant threat of the first half came from Staten Island, but it was thwarted by a pass break-up in the end zone by the Fury’s Hannah Jayes. Similarly, the Giants made a deep drive on their initial possession in the second half, only to be stopped by a sack from the Fury’s Caroline Jayes, which resulted in a turnover on downs.

Fanetti threw 16 successful passes, totaling 142 yards. Meanwhile, Allison Gandlin received seven catches, gaining 67 yards. KyLee Caetano, the team’s rusher, managed to sack and put continuous pressure on the Fury’s prominent quarterback, Ava Wallace. Despite this, Wallace ended the game with 114 yards passing from 16 completions out of her 25 attempts. Mary Nell Thompson led the team with eight catches, amounting to 62 yards.