Seminole Ridge flag football has officially gone back to back.
The Hawks flag football squad took down St. Thomas Aquinas, 27-19, to complete their 2026 season encore, featuring a 20-2 record and a second-straight state championship in the Class 3A title game.
Entering the season finale, Seminole Ridge was tasked with taking down the nation’s No. 12 ranked team, but the Hawks proved their mettle ― and their No. 1 overall rank ― in the back-and-forth victory.
“It was definitely a tough game,” head coach Scott O’Hara said. “St. Thomas Aquinas was definitely well-prepared. A lot of talent on that team and we knew it would be a tough battle. We started out with the lead and they came back. It was back and forth to the end and it almost had the feeling where whoever had the ball last was going to win.”
Missing leading receiver Avaree Brant to a hamstring injury from the night before, both Ava Dowdell and Kylin Chieffalo stepped up for star quarterback Aubrey Fogel, who dazzled once again with 291 yards passing and four touchdowns.
“We knew we had other girls that needed to step up,” O’Hara said. “And they certainly did. We have a lot of depth on our team and Kylin Chieffalo stepped in and scored our first touchdown. There was Avaree on the sideline cheering everyone on.”
Chieffalo, daughter of football coach Chad Chieffalo, added another touchdown to finish the day with four catches and two scores.
Dowdell won player of the game for the match, having contributed 11 catches for 141 yards and touchdowns alongside an interception on defense.
“She was fantastic and stepped up the most when we needed it,” O’Hara said. “She’s been a lockdown defender all season long and a great offensive player, too, and we’ve kind of worked her into different spots. She had to step up and really take over, and she certainly did that. The MVP honor, she certainly earned and deserved.”
Angelina Romanski and Chachi Saunders also contributed interceptions, with Romanski pacing the Hawks with seven flag pulls on defense.
It’s the second straight title for the Hawks, who exploded onto the national scene last year with a 17-2 season that culminated in a 26-2 blowout victory in the title game over Chiles.
Entering this year, some fresh faces took the place of some graduating seniors ― and though there were some big shoes to fill in multiple positions, Seminole Ridge adapted in impressive fashion.
“I kind of challenged the team from the beginning with ‘That was last year’s team, last year is over. It’s a new year. Can you make your mark? Can you do something special for you?’ We had a couple of hiccups, a couple of losses. You’ve got to make every play count. When we got to the state series, we made it a business trip and said, ‘We’ll celebrate after.’ I’m really proud of the girls.”
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Seminole Ridge flag football wins state championship