Flag Football At BPCU

The Brewton-Parker Christian University Lady Barons women’s flag football team opened its inaugural season by hosting three teams on February 7. The Barons grabbed two wins, taking down LaGrange University with a dominating 26-0 performance, and followed it up with another massive win over Andrew College, taking down the Fighting Tigers 42-0. While the Barons had hoped to start the season with a perfect 3-0 record, the stout defense of Emmanuel University kept the high-powered offense off the board for the entire game, taking home a 6-2 victory on a last-minute drive. vs. LaGrange

Game one started with a bang by Mari Knighton, who broke loose for a 46yard run on the Barons’ opening series to flip the field and put the Barons’ offense in business. With 1:00 left in the first quarter, Ta’Meria Williams capitalized, finding Knighton downfield for a 35-yard touchdown strike to give the Barons a 6-0 lead after the missed point-after attempt.

Defensively, the Barons controlled the game from start to finish. The Barons generated steady pressure and tight coverage, limiting big plays and setting up short fields for the offense. Mari Knighton’s interception in the second quarter highlighted the effort and helped fuel Brewton-Parker’s decisive scoring surge. vs. Andrew

Game two saw much of the same from the Barons. The Barons set the tone in the first quarter with a pair of scoring drives to claim an early lead. The Barons opened up the scoring with a Malayka Fudge 15-yard touchdown reception to put the Barons on the board at 6-0. Later in the quarter, the Barons engineered an efficient possession with a 3-yard strike to Ciara O’Brien, and the successful point-after extended the lead to 14-0, giving the Barons full command before the game had settled in.

While the Barons’ offense piled up big plays, the defense produced a complete effort, limiting Andrew to 94 total yards on 37 plays, just 2.5 yards per snap. Brewton-Parker forced three interceptions and repeatedly stalled Andrew’s drives, allowing only four first downs. The Barons focused on controlling the line of scrimmage and turning takeaways into quick-strike opportunities for the offense. vs. Emmanuel

Game three saw the Barons struggle offensively for the first time all day, but they put on a stalwart defensive performance for three and a half quarters. The Barons controlled the scoreboard for most of the night on the strength of their defense. With 3:27 left in the third quarter, the Barons finally broke a scoreless deadlock when Sophia Souza broke through for a sack in the end zone, forcing a safety and giving the Barons a 2-0 advantage. The play capped a series of defensive stands that repeatedly turned away Emmanuel’s drives and appeared poised to deliver a grind-it-out win.

Emmanuel, however, mounted one final drive late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Lillian Stephenson, who had tested the Brewton-Parker secondary all game, connected with Gwen Carter on a 24-yard touchdown pass with 0:11 remaining, giving Emmanuel its first lead at 6-2. The Barons’ defense held on the ensuing point-after attempt, but the Barons’ offense did not have enough time to answer on the final possession.

Head Coach Sheldon Miller reflected on the team’s performance, saying, “We played very well all day. We got better today for sure. We are growing up fast, with a roster that has only one player who is not a true freshman. We will continue to put in the work every day in the classroom, weight room, and on the field to give honor and Glory to God. God is doing amazing things in our program. I’m just proud to be God’s assistant Coach!”

The Barons will be back in action in Mount Vernon on February 12, when they host Huntington College.