Greenbrier’s Maggie Pangle caught a 24-yard go-ahead touchdown pass from Kenzie Horton with 4:10 remaining and the Wolfpack added a safety on the final play of the game for a 14-6 victory over defending champion Lithia Springs in the flag football Division 2 championship game Tuesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Greenbrier (19-1), which won its first state title in the 4-year-old sport, was eliminated from the playoffs by Lithia Springs (20-2) the past two seasons. Lithia Springs was making its third consecutive appearance in the state finals.
“To be honest, I was hoping we didn’t have to play them,” Greenbrier coach Daniel Jordan said. “They’ve had our number. We hadn’t scored a touchdown against them the two times we played them. But I kinda figured they were going to be there in the end. But if you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. So we tried to go all out and not be scared and go get it.”
Greenbrier took possession at its 26-yard line with a little more than eight minutes remaining in the game and drove 54 yards, aided by two pass interference penalties, in about four minutes for the winning score.
Lithia Springs got the ball back two more times but did not threaten to score.
Horton gave Greenbrier an early 6-0 lead with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Aaliyah Silver with 5:45 remaining in the first quarter. Lithia Springs answered on the ensuing possession, scoring on a 54-yard pass from Rashyia Minnex-Moss to Jasmine McDowell to make it 6-6, a score that lasted into the fourth quarter.
Horton completed 10 of 20 passes for 88 of Greenbrier’s 110 yards.
“She definitely opens the field up,” Jordan said of Horton. “I think she’s the best quarterback in the state. There’s a lot of good ones, but we wouldn’t trade her for anything.”
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