STUART — Points have been at a premium whenever the Martin County and South Fork High School flag football teams have dueled on the gridiron.
They met once again on Wednesday, with each defense locking down the opposing offense en route to their lowest scoring output in three meetings this season. But with their season on the line, the Bulldogs and their defense was just a little bit better.
South Fork stood tall late to pitch a 7-0 shutout over the Tigers during a Region 2-3A semifinal on Wednesday night from Napoli Orthodontics Stadium. The Bulldogs captured their first-ever regional playoff win.
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“I’m just super proud,” South Fork head coach Joshua Perry said. “We’ve been working really hard and it’s tough to win against a really tough ball club. … We’ve been battle-tested this year and the girls are very deserving. It’s a crazy moment.”
The Bulldogs turned back three Martin County drives in the fourth quarter, with the home team’s final drive ending dramatically. Beginning the possession with just less than four minutes to go, the Tigers reached midfield before a deep pass put them on the doorstep of a potential game-tying score.
Freshman quarterback Anasia Ramos connected with fellow freshman Tess Addeo down the sideline to give Martin County first-and-goal on the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line. The Tigers continued to chip away with a short completion before a high snap through Ramos’ hands pushed them back to the 20.
With the time ticking, Martin County had two more shots. Another deep Ramos pass, this time intended for sophomore wide receiver Megyn Stone, fell to the turf after perfect coverage from sophomore captain Callie Kiess. Then on the final play from scrimmage, Ramos went down the field in Addeo’s direction again, but the pass was knocked down by junior Sarina Dadko to effectively end the game.
“It didn’t go our way,” Tigers head coach Jeff Padgett said. “On that last drive in that last bunch of plays, we were dealing with three freshmen, with the last play going freshman to freshman. Hopefully, we learn from this and a couple years from now when those girls are seniors, they’ll make those plays.”
The visitors notched the game’s only points late in the second quarter.
South Fork marched down the field thanks to the arm and legs of Alyssa Inchierchiere. The senior quarterback was on target with numerous passes on the move to receivers running slants through the middle of the field. The passing attack finally paid dividends when Inchierchiere took a couple steps to her right before firing a strike to senior captain Isabella Shearn for a short touchdown.
“Alyssa and I made eye contact and I knew I was getting the ball,” Shearn remarked. “I said, ‘I have to catch this ball’ because I knew it might cost us the game.”
Martin County (14-3) was the third seed in the region while No. 6 South Fork (13-5) moves on to the regional semifinals. The team plays at 7 p.m. Monday at No. 2 Land O’Lakes.
The Tigers and Bulldogs split two previous matchups in 2026, with the former capturing a 12-0 win on March 25 before the latter earned a 13-0 victory during districts on April 21.
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s game.
Bulldogs stay ahead of trick plays
Being blanked wasn’t necessarily by design, but the Tigers played their District 7-3A semifinal close to the vest.
Padgett anticipated a third meeting and had a number to trick plays up his sleeve, between wide receiver passes, hook and laterals and cross-field laterals on punt returns. However, some of those plays either weren’t excecuted or were just a hair off the mark.
“Tonight, we emptied everything out and it just wasn’t good enough,” Padgett said. “We showed them a bunch of new things that they weren’t prepared for. We just couldn’t get them done.”
When running a conventional offense, Martin County was limited to minimal gains against a defense that kept just about everything in front. The Bulldogs didn’t record a turnover, but they didn’t allow much else either.
“It’s about all-out communication. I think that’s been the biggest turnaround for us,” said Perry, who’s team has 11 shutout wins.
‘They know our stuff, we know their stuff’
The two teams have played against each other six times over the last two years, with South Fork holding a 4-2 advantage.
Before the latest clash, Martin County had the biggest win during that stretch. The Tigers defeated their cross-town rival in a regional quarterfinal last season.
Wednesday’s meeting was a display of teams that know each other well, and may not be the biggest fans of the other. Highlighted by a personal foul dead ball penalty in the fourth, it wasn’t a surprise when occasional chippy play was mixed with chatter after plays.
“Keeping your cool is key for sure,” Shearn said. “A lot of words were exchanged during the game and you can’t let it get to your head. They know our stuff, we know their stuff. We just have to be on top of our game all the time by pulling flags, catching balls and holding ourselves accountable.”
One last speech
Martin County bows out following its third consecutive regional appearance.
There’s little to believe that streak won’t be extended as the program loses just one senior to graduation: Anna Staten.
The team captain was emotional and succumbed to tears following her final prep flag football game. After Padgett gathered the team for a post-game huddle, Staten was given the floor for one final speech before breaking down the huddle. Then, she was lifted over the heads of her teammates for one last team photo on the field.
“She’s been through everything in four years, including a lot of wins. We’re gonna miss her,” Padgett said of Staten. “It sucks for her in the sense that we couldn’t get the job done, but she talked to the girls and she’s sad, but not upset. She knew everyone put their best foot forward and that’s all we could ask for.”
Other regional quarterfinals
Region 3-1A
No. 2 John Carroll Catholic (14-4) 26, No. 7 Atlantic (11-5) 25 (OT): An extra-point in extra time was the difference as the Rams outlasted the Sharks at home to advance to their second consecutive regional semifinal. The host trailed 13-7 at halftime before the teams were deadlocked at 19 apiece entering over time.
Stats were not available.
John Carroll Catholic faces No. 6 Pahokee at 7 p.m. Monday from Father Michael Sajda Field at McGuire Football Stadium in the Ashton Griffin Sports Complex.
Region 3-4A
No. 3 Fort Pierce Central (12-5) 13, No. 6 Palm Beach Central (13-5) 6: The host Cobras extended their winning streak to six after outlasting the Broncos.
Fort Pierce Central has limited opponents to single digits in five games during that stretch. The defense was led by Shawntravia Brown, as the freshman had three sacks to go with seven flag pulls and two passes defended. Trisdeyana Adams and Kailee Grone each added an interception.
Grone fell just short of her seventh 200-yard passing game this season as the sophomore completed 16 of 28 passes for 197 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. She also added 34 yards on the group.
Karla Timothy chipped in with two receptions for a two-best 74 yards and a score. Rickiya White had the Cobras’ other touchdown catch.
Next up in the semifinals, Fort Pierce Central takes on the team that has ended its season each of the past two seasons. The Cobras play at 7 p.m. Friday at No. 2 Wellington.
Region 3-1A
No. 4 Bishop Verot (14-1) 21, No. 5 Jensen Beach (14-1) 0: The Falcons’ season came to a close after falling on the road to the Vikings.
Lila Dinkel accounted for all three touchdowns for Bishop Verot. The senior quarterback completed 13 of 24 passes for 105 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. She also had 13 carries for 101 yards and a score.
Stats were unavailable for Jensen Beach, who will say goodbye to eight seniors: Ashlyn Otton, Mo McFadden, Kaylyn Borgerding, Christen Bell, Madison Wojieczak, Natalie Tobiasz, Lizzie Fitzwater and Victoria Williams.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Flag Football: South Fork shuts out Martin County for first region win
Reporting by Patrick Bernadeau, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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