‘I wasn’t expecting this’: Boonsboro girls flag football is undefeated and having fun

Posted by author October 17, 2024 Football

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The Boonsboro girls flag football team already has exceeded all expectations for the season.

That’s largely because there really weren’t any. After all, it’s the inaugural year for the sport in Washington County.

“We had no idea,” Boonsboro coach Chad Hartman said. “When we came into the year, I told the girls that this is new to us, it’s new to them, and we’re going to make it a fun year.”

Now, the Warriors are enjoying their status as the county’s only undefeated team. With a 21-7 win over Clear Spring on Wednesday, they improved their record to 6-0.

“It’s cool. The girls have taken to it. They understand the game more than when they started,” Hartman said. “But our approach hasn’t changed. Honestly, we only practice once or twice a week because I have a lot of dual-sport athletes, and I don’t want them getting behind in their other sports or in the classroom. And we just stick with that.

“I’m very transparent with the girls. I’m like, ‘Look, when we have practice, we have to practice hard because we might only get one or two a week.’ I think that’s kept them positive, and it’s kept them energized. It’s working.”

Against Clear Spring, Mylee Hartman threw two touchdown passes and ran for a 2-point conversion and a 1-point conversion, Maddy Davis had a TD run and a TD catch, and Rebekah Meiklejohn had a TD catch and two interceptions.

“We were a little worried tonight because our starting quarterback (Annabel Fletcher) and two of our other players had a soccer game,” Chad Hartman said. “But I just told the girls that we all had to step up, and they all did. Maddy and Mylee both had amazing games.”

Flag football: ‘It’s just fun’

Boonsboro has outscored its opponents 143-57.

“First season, I wasn’t expecting this, but we play really well together,” said Mylee Hartman, the coach’s freshman daughter. “We just connected first game, and we’ve just grown ever since. It’s really fun.”

For the season, Hartman has six touchdown passes, two TD runs, two TD catches and a pick six, while Fletcher has four TD passes and four TD runs, Davis has six total TDs, and Meiklejohn has four total TDs. Brooke Bailey leads the team in flag pulls with 14.

“I love it,” Davis said. “Basketball used to be my No. 1 sport. I used to enjoy it all of the time. But I like flag football so much because it brings so much — athletics, agility — and it’s just fun.”

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Boonsboro’s postseason hopes

The Warriors have two games left in the regular season, both at home, against North Hagerstown on Oct. 22 and Smithsburg on Oct. 29.

All six county teams then will participate in a county tournament, seeded 1 through 6. On Nov. 4 at North, it will be 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5, with the winners advancing to the semifinals to play the top two seeds Nov. 6 at Smithsburg, immediately followed by the championship game that night.

The county’s two finalists will advance to the eight-team state tournament Nov. 8 at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens. The state tourney, a single-day event, also will include two teams from Frederick County, two from Montgomery County and two from Baltimore City.

“We’re going to get there,” Davis said. “I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but we’re going to get there. We’ve been grinding since the first day of tryouts, and we’re going to grind the next two games. And when the tournament comes, we’re going to be ready.”