Thirteen wins and 506 unanswered points; this is how Monsignor Edward Pace High School’s Lady Spartans flag football team finished their regular season and district playoffs as they won the District 32 championship against Mater Academy on April 28.
The 20-0 trouncing of Mater that night was emblematic of the team’s success all season, as they shutout every single team during the regular season and district playoffs with scores as high as 61-0. The Lady Spartans’ offense, led by Miami-Dade’s 2013 Player of Year quarterback Sabrina Cabrera, would rack up points on their opponents. On the defensive end, players such as safety Destiny Wilson and defensive back Jasmine Rodriguez would completely shut down teams and leave them unable to score.
The Lady Spartans were ranked #3 in the state and are still the only Florida flag football team to go undefeated in regular season and district play this year. Their victories even earned them the attention of WSVN 7, which aired a profile of the team for their sports show 7 Sports Xtra. The team is helmed by two Pace alumni, with Pace Law Studies teacher and head coach John Rodriguez (Class of 1978) and assistant coach Derek Duque (Class of 2012).
“[Coach Rodriguez] expects us to play hard, to our capabilities, and to leave it all out on the field,” said senior wide receiver Daizsa Jones, a major part of the team’s success who credited their undefeated and un-scored-upon record to the players’ hard work and discipline.
Daizsa is one of six seniors graduating from the team this year, along with quarterback Sabrina Cabrera, Jasmine Rodriguez, Tamira Smalls, Jenny Darbouze, and Pierrelena Amazon. Cabrera, who led the team all the way to the state championships in 2013, was also named Pace’s 2015 Lady Spartan of the Year for her efforts on the flag football and soccer field and her academic work.
Once they entered the next round of the playoffs, the Lady Spartans found stiffer competition. In the first round, the team went into a tense double-overtime against the Miramar Patriots before finally winning 19-13. The Lady Spartans’ season would come to an end on May 5 in a 13-0 loss against the Everglades Gators in the last play-in game before the state championships.
Following the loss, Head Coach John Rodriguez said, “I’m very proud of these girls and how hard they worked. We had a tremendous season and they exceeded my expectations.” He added that he was looking forward to the team’s prospects next season.