Central-Phenix City Shuts Out Vestavia Hills to Claim AHSAA 6A-7A Girls’ Flag Football Title
By Josh Bean | For the AHSAA
TUSCALOOSA – Central-Phenix City High School shook off a sluggish start – thanks to a stifling defensive effort – and ran away with a 25-0 victory over Vestavia Hills to win the AHSAA’s first Class 6A-7A girls’ flag championship Wednesday at Bryant-Denny Stadium to help kick off the 2023 Super 7 State Football Championships.
The Red Devils (18-0) limited Vestavia Hills (17-1), coached by Debra Broome, Doug Rogers and Sharmin Martin, to just 63 yards on 33 plays and intercepted four passes to earn the shutout.
“We said all year the only team that can beat us was us, and we were beating ourselves,” Central coach Mitchell Holt said. “We were able to reel it back in and make the necessary adjustments to come out on top. Credit our defense.”
Holt said his first-team defense allowed only two touchdowns, both to 2022 champ Auburn, since Oct. 1.
“The Jimmys and Joes are bigger than Xs and Os,” Holt said, “and when you have great players like I’m blessed with, it makes it a lot easier to draw up plans and just let ’em go out there and play.”
Central’s Natalyn Lumpkin caught touchdown passes of 14, 8 and 61 yards and led the Red Devils defensively with six tackles and an interception.
Central-Phenix City earned its first girls’ championship game win in school history, Holt said, noting the Red Devils’ girls golf team has won a state title
“Knowing that we’re stepping on the field that THE Nick Saban steps on every time, it’s great to know we earned it,” Central’s Ally Supan said. “We worked hard day-in and day-out.”
Central-Phenix City quarterback Gerritt Griggs, an Alabama softball commit, completed 7-of-10 passes for 74 yards and added 13 carries for 70 yards. She threw TD passes of 14 and 8 yards to Lumpkin, and Mariah Harrison threw the 61-yard TD pass to Lumpkin. Griggs also scored on an eight-yard TD pass and intercepted a pass on defense. Colby Cook intercepted two passes for Central.
Vestavia Hills’ Julia Rose completed 8-of-23 passes for 62 yards, and River Riley led the Rebels’ defense with six tackles.
“We worked hard to get to this position,” Vestavia coach Doug Rogers said. “We knew from watching tape that, that team was going to be pretty tough. They had a lot of formations, a lot of things that they ran, a lot of team speed. We expected to be a little closer than that.”
The two girls’ flag championship games opened the 28th annual Super 7 State Football Championship, as Wenonah (17-0) defeated Montgomery Catholic (17-4) in overtime in the Class 1A-5A flag final earlier Wednesday in the first small-school division championship in AHSAA history. The first two years the teams battled to only one state title – all in the same division.
The Class 7A boys’ tackle title game between Thompson (11-1) and Central-Phenix City (12-0) caps Day 1 of the Super 7 later Wednesday night. The Class 3A, 1A and 5A championship games are Thursday, followed by title games in Classes 4A, 2A and 6A on Friday.
SUPER 7 STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Dec. 6-7-8
(Home teams listed second in each pairing)
CLASS 1A FINALS
Coosa Christian (9-5) vs. Leroy (13-0), Thurs., Dec. 7, 3 p.m.
CLASS 2A FINALS
Fyffe (13-1) vs. Reeltown (13-0), Fri., Dec. 8, 3 p.m.
CLASS 3A FINALS
Mobile Christian (14-0) vs. Madison Academy (14-0), Thurs., Dec. 7, 11 a.m.
CLASS 4A FINALS
Montgomery Catholic (14-0) vs. Cherokee County (13-1), Fri., Dec. 8, 11 a.m.
CLASS 5A FINALS
Gulf Shores (14-0) vs. Ramsay (12-2), Thurs.,, Dec. 7, 7 p.m.
CLASS 6A FINALS
Saraland (14-0) vs. Clay-Chalkville (13-0), Fri., Dec. 8, 7 p.m.
CLASS 7A FINALS
Central-Phenix City (12-0) vs. Thompson (11-1), Wednesday, 7 p.m.
GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS 1A/5A FINALS
Wenonah (17-0) 18, Montgomery Catholic (17-4) 12 (OT)
CLASS 6A/7A FINALS
Central-Phenix City (18-0) 25, Vestavia Hills (17-1) 0
