HAINES CITY — High school flag football in Florida is a sport heavily impacted by high school basketball because of how long the winter sport can go. In this case in the Class 4A, District 6 game featuring the clash of the titans, both Haines City and Winter Haven have players that have clearcut cases.
Both Haines City senior quarterback Zebrielle Canaday and Winter Haven senior wide receiver Quin Grey de Sanders didn’t even help their respective flag football teams until after their basketball postseason runs, which can last until March if they go to state — a feat that Winter Haven basketball accomplished once more. But after a string of regular-season games, it was the Canaday and Sanders show that ended with Haines City winning the district semis by a score of 45-26 Tuesday at Haines City High School.
Canaday posted five touchdowns, including a pick-six. And Sanders registered four touchdowns, including two pick-sixes; she also had a third interception.
“Great game. Two great athletes. I’d love to see them both on Team USA. Amazing athletes. Quin unstoppable once she gets going. It was Z versus Quin,” Haines City head flag football coach Stephen Stansbury said after the game.
Haines City takes advantage early
The theme of the game early on was turnovers. While junior quarterback Elana Martinez can throw darts, her decision making turned into six interceptions, though this has been her standout year with much better choices in the pocket prior to a tough Haines City squad. And early on the Hornets took advantage thanks to the 2025 Player of the Year in Canaday, who put her team up 26-6 with 7:59 left in the second because of her juking ability and her jets; she also had a 63-yard touchdown prior to this. She racked up a 13-yard and a 21-yard touchdown to seal the game.
“It’s always a good competition going against Quin. She definitely puts up a fight every time,” Canaday said. “…I’m trying to finish strong. We are just now coming to play together. At first, we were a little bit rusty in the beginning of the season. But now we are playing together and talking together,” Canaday said.
Winter Haven’s Sanders makes it a game
Sanders, who didn’t even start playing with the Blue Devils until March because of state basketball, also had eye-popping highlights. While Canaday plays like a Michael Vick or a Barry Sanders, Sanders also exhibited that speed, is very shifty, and catches that ball like a Randy Moss. She took a 5-yard reception, made a quick juke move and turned it up field for a 52-yard touchdown with 7:13 to go in the third to make the score 32-19 Haines City. Aside from catching the ball at the highest point on several occasions, she also caught a 63-yard touchdown reception, as she truly runs like the wind.
With other state basketball players by her side such as junior Alyse Mercredi and Faith Thompson, third-year Winter Haven flag football coach Matt Timmons knows what type of team and season he had despite the loss.
“I told these young ladies that I wanted to take somebody to the district championship game with me that’s going to have my back in a dark alley at night. And even though they started off slow, (it’s) how they finished, I’ll take those girls anywhere with me in a bar fight,” Timmons said.
What’s next for Winter Haven?
It’s just too bad that Sanders won’t be able to be in a Winter Haven bar fight next year with Timmons, as she is leaving for Arizona State for a basketball scholarship. In all, the Blue Devils (7-5) will be graduating seven seniors, but there will be 15 juniors returning.
Up next for Haines City (8-3) will be the district championship game 7 p.m. Thursday at Haines City High School against George Jenkins (12-3), which just won their semifinal game 18-12 over Durant ― a team that beat the Eagles last year in the postseason.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Canaday leads Haines City flag over Sanders’ Winter Haven in semis
Reporting by Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
