THURMONT – Frederick County girls flag football witnessed another historic moment as Linganore’s Josslyn Quansah secured a safety midway through the second half of Wednesday night’s game against Catoctin, marking the league’s first-ever safety. Ironically, Quansah herself didn’t initially grasp the significance of her play.
“I just heard cheering, and I was like, ‘I guess that’s good for us,'” she recounted.
Indeed, that safety proved crucial as it broke a scoreless deadlock in what had been a defensive battle. Both teams struggled to convert drives into points, but Quansah’s standout moment helped the Lancers secure an 8-0 victory on the road. Flag Football Flag Football Flag Football Flag Football
Quansah’s exceptional speed posed a constant challenge for the Cougars. Her presence in the backfield disrupted their plays and forced them to rush their decisions. This played a pivotal role in Linganore’s ability to keep Catoctin off the scoreboard, despite the Cougars venturing into their territory on four separate occasions, including three consecutive possessions at the start of the game. Flag Football Flag Football Flag Football Flag Football Flag Football
Lancers coach Brian Sweene commented, “We’re learning to bend but not break, and we’re learning to prevent the big pass plays that troubled us in the first week. We’re focused on maintaining clean flag pulls.”
Quansah excelled at this, registering four tackles for a loss. Her speed, honed through a track and field background, was her greatest asset. As a junior, she achieved top-10 finishes in the 200-meter dash and triple jump at the Class 3A state championships last May, also contributing to Linganore’s top-5 performance as the leadoff runner in the 4×400 relay. Flag Football Flag Football Flag Football
Despite Catoctin’s efforts to block Quansah with an additional player, it often proved ineffective. Quansah shared, “Every time, they had a girl there trying to screen me, so I was just dodging, trying to go straight for that flag every time.”
However, Quansah wasn’t the sole standout on the Lancers’ defense. Junior linebacker Alexis Sweene made a significant impact with two consecutive interceptions in the second half. The latter interception eventually led to Quansah’s game-changing safety. These were Sweene’s first career picks, and she admitted they took her by surprise initially. Flag Football Flag Football
“I was like, ‘Wait, I actually got the interception?'” she said. “I didn’t even think I caught it. I thought I dropped it. And then I froze. I was like, ‘What do I do now?’ Then I was like, ‘Oh wait, I run.'”
These crucial plays boosted Linganore’s momentum and ultimately thwarted Catoctin on their final offensive drive. While the Lancers (2-0) had struggled to sustain long drives, quarterback Savannah Eanes sealed the game with a 43-yard touchdown scramble, providing some much-needed insurance with just over a minute remaining.
Although the Cougars (0-2) put up a fight and nearly converted a 4th-and-24 attempt that could have set up a last-ditch Hail Mary effort, it was a commendable showing for Catoctin, particularly on the defensive front. Their defense effectively disrupted Eanes and her receivers, with players like freshman cornerback Raquel Owens and junior safety Madi Ohler contesting most passes.
Cougars coach Lizzie Dougherty praised her team’s improved performance, saying, “We were just talking more… They knew, ‘Oh, we have to do this.’ I just want the girls to have fun, and that’s what they did.”
On offense, Catoctin made several promising attempts, with senior quarterback Peyton Davis throwing for 95 yards and freshman running back Hadley McQuay gaining 51 yards on the ground. Nevertheless, Linganore’s defense proved impenetrable each time, and Quansah’s groundbreaking two-point play secured the win for the Lancers.
Coach Brian Sweene summed it up, stating, “That was huge. I told them, they needed a safety, and they got one.”