The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School women’s flag football team played against Pines Charter High School on Monday, March 7. This was a highly anticipated game for the Eagles, as it was their first of the season. They had gone through numerous tryouts and practices in preparation for their game.

The game started out with MSD on defense, and quickly, the opposing team was forced to punt the ball. The Eagles put up a good fight through the first quarter, and both teams held each other up. Both teams were unable to score leading into the second quarter.

“I am proud of my defense,” coach Cristian Baldwin said. “They kept up with some of the faster players on the other team and didn’t allow any of the receivers to get behind them.”

The second quarter didn’t begin as well as the first for the Eagles, as Pines Charter scored in the opening minutes. MSD tried their best to contain them, but Pines Charter’s offense took control of the second quarter as they scored their second touchdown soon after the first. The Eagles were able to contain them regaining confidence in their defense after the shaky start.

“I believe we lost focus since this was our first game, and we were still trying to figure out all the moving pieces,” slot and wide receiver Mia Beteta (8) said.

The beginning of the third quarter sparked new determination in the Eagles. They came out strong and ran the ball down the field into scoring position, leading to the Eagles first touchdown of the season from a catch by wide receiver Sophia Dal Molin (22). The Eagles stayed tough throughout this quarter, never letting the other team near their end-zone.

“I am proud of my teammates for persevering through and coming back tougher than the first two quarters,” rusher Victoria Llavaneras (7) said.

The game continued into the fourth quarter with both teams keeping each other in check and not letting up on their defense. Neither team got another opportunity to score, ending the game with the final score of 27-6 in favor of Pines Charter.

This was a tough game for the Eagles, but the team was content with the outcome of this game as it was their first. The team has discussed what they need to do in their practices in order to succeed further into their season.