Seconds ticked down on the clock as flag football’s Senior Night game came to a close, Oct. 23. Westview’s defense lined up against University City as the opposing team attempted to avoid being shut out by the Wolverines. As the buzzer rang throughout the stadium, Mya Omisore (12) ran to celebrate the final league game win with the rest of her team. Westview beat University City 34-0.
Jocelyn Cotton (11) scored the game’s first touchdown less than five minutes into the game. According to Omisore, the early lead helped keep the team’s energy high throughout the rest of the game. Mia Jacobson (12) said the lively atmosphere of the game also contributed to the team’s upbeat attitude throughout the night.
“We had a lot more people watching this game, which added to the energy of the game,” Jacobson said. “As we scored more and as the game got closer to ending, we were having more fun and joking around both on and off the field.”
With a five-touchdown cushion, the Wolverines alternated their offensive and defensive lineups so the girls could experience playing opposite positions.
“We switched the offensive and defensive players for fun, and the new defense had to defend UC from scoring from 10 yards,” Jacobson said. “We didn’t let them score, so it was a great moment.”
Although they hadn’t played University City before, Jacobson said that she felt confident in Westview’s abilities to secure a win.
“We were just preparing to pull flags consistently and not let them throw anything long,” Jacobson said. “I expected us to win pretty easily since our team is very athletic and has great chemistry, [but] the team definitely exceeded my expectations since we did not let UC score at all.”
Jacobson credits the team’s success to their ability to maintain effective communication with each other. She said she hopes to see the team continue their performance throughout CIFs to secure a second consecutive CIF championship.
“Our team’s connectivity translates to the field because we are all very honest and open with each other, so we’re able to hold each other accountable and communicate through our mistakes,” Jacobson said. “I hope that we can play the way we’ve been playing, which is very calm and relaxed, so that we don’t get rushed by other teams and make mistakes. I expect us to do well in CIFs and maybe even win a second year in a row.”
As a senior, this is Omisore’s last season with the team and she said the game was a chance to spend some last football moments with her teammates.
“[The game] felt surreal because it really hit me that I was actually a senior,” Omisore said. “It felt special because we [knew] that the season [was] coming to an end soon and that [it was] the last time we’ll play together.”
For Omisore, being on the team has taught her many valuable lessons and given her a supportive community. She said she is grateful for the opportunity she had to play on the team during her last two years at Westview.
“This team has definitely helped me grow to realize that it’s okay to make mistakes and to just forget about them and bounce back,” Omisore said. “The girls are really good at supporting each other after something doesn’t go our way. It’s a really tight-knit group, and I’m really honored to be able to get to know all of them and play football with them as well.”
