Editor's note: Robinson High junior Macy McClintock, a member of the school's championship flag football program, shares her thoughts about the Knights' third consecutive state title and the bond it shares with Alonso High, which won its first state title this year.
Robinson flag football head coach Joshua Saunders still laughs about the time when he and Alonso head coach Matt Hernandez weren't best friends.
In 2011, Saunders asked Hernandez if he could watch the Ravens practice to see how a playoff team functioned. Hernandez responded with a harsh no.
These days, that's a difficult thing to envision. Heading into my senior season as a Knight, I can't imagine our program without the Ravens by our side.
During tryouts my sophomore year, we wore shirts with our name on them so that our "guest coach" could easily identify us. It was Hernandez.
Throughout the countless hotel stays and team bonding events that come along with the preseason efforts of a well-seasoned program, Alonso has been right by our side. We've shared arm wrestling competitions, dance sessions and pizza parties.
Now we can add one more thing to the list of commonalities: we're both 2018 FHSAA Flag Football State Champions.
After Robinson beat Miami Edison 16-0 in the Class 1A State Final on May 12 to take home the gold for the third consecutive year, we headed to the bleachers to cheer on Alonso. The Ravens trailed Seminole Ridge by a touchdown in the 2A final. When Jazmin Rhoden threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to Katie Morello, we went wild.
Hernandez credited the momentum shift of the Ravens' 19-7 come-from-behind victory to the roaring crowd bursting with enthusiastic cheers and chants, led by the Knights. That was one of the most impactful moments I've experienced, as we had so much joy in watching them win.
The bond between a Westchase and South Tampa school may seem unusual to some, but the players and coaches have forged this bond over the past few years.
In 2014, when Robinson played in the state championship in Tallahassee, Alonso sat in the stands and cheered on Robinson as it won its first state title - even though the Ravens had lost the night before.
Since 2016, the coaches have taken annual college football trips together throughout the country. When Hurricane Irma hit Florida this past September, Saunders' family evacuated to Hernandez's home for three days. Both teams joke about the close bond between the coaches. Saunders and Hernandez label it a professional relationship.
We call it a bromance.
With the sport on the rise, as the FHSAA recently declared it a sanctioned sport, I find it impressive that Hillsborough County has produced five state titles in the past three years. It might be a coincidence that the two most dedicated, hard-working coaching staffs are in the same county.
Our success, however, is not coincidental. It is a direct payoff of the effort the players invest in the programs.
Earlier this year, the Knights lost to the Ravens 18-12 in double overtime, snapping Robinson's 84-game win streak against Hillsborough County teams and leading Alonso to their first ever undefeated flag season. My team agreed that if the streak had to be broken, we were happy Alonso was on the winning side.
We have played the Ravens 20 times in the past four years and the results have been evenly split.
Robinson's quarterback, Lauren King, struggled playing the Ravens constantly over the summer because of the pressure that comes along with such a competitive game. Perhaps the tough games prepared her for the state tournament. She threw for 417 yards and five touchdowns in the semifinal and the championship game.
Of my three gold medals, this year's may be my favorite, knowing that we won it with Alonso.
Now the two teams will work toward remaining the top programs in the state, and I know that we will do it side-by-side.
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