The SEB Flag Football team was recently honored with an all expenses paid trip to Detroit to participate in the Detroit Lions' first NFL "Women in Football" game. The game was dedicated to celebrating women in the sport of football.
Grice Connect caught up with SEB Flag Football Head Coach, Marci Cochran, for a recap of the experience and for additional highlights of the team's success.
A Brief History on the Atlanta Falcons and SEB Flag Football
Marci Cochran is in her third year of being Head Coach of the flag football team at Southeast Bulloch High School in Brooklet, GA. Cochran has been the Head Coach of the flag football since its inception in 2020.
"The state of Georgia decided that they were going to sanction flag football for the state four years ago," Cochran explained. "Portal was the first school in Bulloch County to start a flag football team, and Southeast Bulloch and Statesboro High followed suit. For our first year at Southeast Bulloch, we had 40 girls try out. And ever since then, our team and sport has continued to grow."
According to the Atlanta Falcons' website, the Falcons and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation "have worked tirelessly to elevate the sport of girls flag football to be sanctioned across the United States to promote gender equality in sports offered at the high school level. It has become one of the fastest growing sports and other states are following the Falcons' lead." (Read more HERE.)
"The Atlanta Falcons have been a trailblazer in supporting and getting flag football mobilized across Georgia," Cochran said. "They have also given our program tons of money and support, and have been an inspiration in helping jump-start flag football teams across the United States. Several other NFL teams are now following suit to the Falcons' lead by helping support and advance the sport of flag football."
A few upperclassmen of the SEB Flag Football team have verbally committed to play flag football in college. And several other SEB Flag Football alumni have experienced collegiate success in the sport.
Read more about Ainsleigh Littles (a Class of 2023 senior who committed to play for the Florida Gateway College Timberwolves) HERE.
The Atlanta Falcons send SEB Flag Football Team to Detroit
Cochran explained that the Detroit Lions requested that the Falcons send one team to Detroit this fall to represent their team in its "Women in Football" game.
"The Falcons chose our SEB Flag Football team because we are ranked #1 in the state of Georgia for Flag Football," she said. "The Lions flew us out, and we were taken on an all-inclusive trip to Detroit where we got to participate in several events, including listening to a panel of speakers prior to the game, as well as participating in the pre-game activity on the field."
"We stood with the Falcons for the National Anthem and got to watch the rest of the game. We were the only flag football team in the state of Georgia that got to participate in this event. Eleven girls from our team represented the Falcons that day. Flag football has opened up numerous opportunities for our girls that would not have happened otherwise without flag football. "
For more information on the Detroit Lions hosting the NFL's first "Women in Football" game, CLICK HERE.
Coach Cochran recaps team highlights and praises team's growth
"Our athletes have grown both athletically and personally," Cochran shared. "Athletically, they have learned the sport of flag football very fast, which is important given that our season is short. Personally and professionally, they have learned how to become leaders on the team; in addition to learning how to prioritize teamwork, how to speak and conduct themselves during interviews, and so much more."
"Other highlights from our team include us having a record of 41-0, meaning that we have not lost a game in the history of our team being formed," she added. "We are also the first flag football team to win back-to-back GHSA State Championships. Our last state championship win was in December 2022. More recently, we were honored with being Grand Marshals in the Brooklet Peanut Festival Parade. We also participated in the Jacksonville Jaguars' inaugural 2023 Girls Flag Nike 11-On Tournament back in summer 2023."
Special Thanks and Acknowledgments
Cochran would like to offer her thanks to several people and organizations who have helped the team along the way. She thanks the Atlanta Falcons NFL team, Superintendent Charles Wilson, SEB Principal Julie Mizell, and SEB Athletic Director Mark Oliver for their support and assistance with helping the SEB Flag Football Team reach success.
Cochran also sends a very heartfelt thanks to the Brooklet community.
"Our Brooklet community has supported our flag football team tremendously. Having the support of the community through their attendance and financial contributions means a lot to us," she said. "The community support is so great that we average one of the biggest fan sections in the state of Georgia. We could not do any of this without our wonderful community."
For more information on the SEB Flag Football team or their upcoming game dates, visit https://sites.google.com/bullochschools.org/sebhsflagfootball/home.
NFHS SEB Flag Football streaming: https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/southeast-bulloch-high-school-brooklet-ga