Taylor Booth said she tries to remain humble, but there’s no reason to.
In the northwest corner of Gainesville, at Buchholz, sits Booth – who rewrote the record books her senior season.
Booth finished with an astounding 2,040 receiving yards – which MaxPreps lists as No. 1 in the U.S. Her game-by-game marks are like what fans must have felt when they read Babe Ruth’s stats, such as eight catches for 300 yards and four touchdowns in the 39-0 win over North Marion.
“I’m glad I get these opportunities, and the ability to play,” Booth said.
She wasn’t just a one-trick pony. On defense, she intercepted 23 passes – including four in the 60-0 thrashing of rival Newberry. That, according to MaxPreps, is No. 8 in the country and No. 6 in Florida.
It wasn’t even a question that Booth was going to the Gainesville Sun’s All-Area Girls Flag Football Player of the Year.
Booth praised her QB, All-Area first teamer Isabella Alexander, for helping her achieve this honor.
“I can’t do nothing if they don’t pass me the ball,” Booth said.
She did all this while being a two-sport athlete. Booth plays basketball in the winter. She led the Bobcats to the postseason in 2025-26 with 15.6 points per game and said basketball helps get her into flag football shape.
“It’s great to be active, especially when going from basketball to flag,” Booth said. “It helped a lot.”
Now, Booth is embarking on a new frontier to her and most athlete – playing flag football in college. She is attending Florida Gateway College – one of the few programs that offer collegiate flag football. The sport has existed on the high school level in Florida for 20 years, but it has been slow to take off at the college ranks.
“The opportunities are endless, and they are only going to grow,” Booth said. “College ball is going to be a different dynamic, and I just have to learn the new stuff that comes with it.”
Booth leads a team of 14 players from seven Gainesville-area schools. Buchholz leads the way with five selectees, but Gainesville High, Newberry, Hawthorne, Palatka, Bradford and Santa Fe each see recognition.
Congratulations to all selected!
Gainesville Sun All-Area Girls Flag Football First Team
Alessia Torres, Buchholz
Ar’Nayshia Griffin, Bradford
Brandy Whitfield, Newberry
Isabella Alexander, Buchholz
Jasmine Hardy, Buchholz
Taylor Booth, Buchholz
Treazure Richardson, Gainesville High
Gainesville Sun All-Area Girls Flag Football Second Team
Ahgharea Young, Santa Fe
Ariana Wilson, Hawthorne
Bella Cletta, Santa Fe
Eileen Perez, Buchholz
Mikinzie Hargon, Gainesville High
Rashari Session, Palatka
Riley Shuford, Bradford
Coach of the Year: Joe Tillman, Buchholz
Tillman left his post at Santa Fe and moved 14 miles south to Buchholz. It paid off as the Bobcats, led by Booth and Alexander, experienced their best season in the young program history.
Buchholz started the season 13-0 and reached the postseason. Booth directly credited Tillman’s arrival as a reason in her phenomenal season.
“Obviously it’s my talents that got me here, but he’s given me a lot in terms of exposure and how I can best show myself off on the field, so I’m thankful for that,” Booth said.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1, Instagram @Ramreporter and Facebook Noah Ram – Reporter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Buchholz’s Taylor Booth leads the Sun’s All-Area Girls Flag Football team
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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By Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network
