When Mamaroneck flag football coach Anthony Vitti split his 28-girl roster into halves last season, he placed Sarah Sherman on the defensive side of the ball. Admittedly, Sherman was a bit disappointed in the decision.
“I remember when Vitti called my name on the defensive side, I was kind of let down by it,” Sherman. “This wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, and I remember him giving us a talk about how defense is overlooked … the defense is a majority of the reason why a team can win a game.”
Vitti’s gut proved to be right, though. In the Tigers’ first official season in Section 1 competition, they won the Section 1 championship with Sherman serving as both a captain and an anchor of a defense that allowed just 13 combined points in three playoff games.
“We had a talk last year, and I just told her to trust us,” Vitti said. “We could see the makings of something special there. She’s a very smart and heady athlete. She understands spacing on the field and picked up the game rapidly.”
Now, Vitti utilizes his senior star in a variety of ways, from rushing the quarterback to dropping into coverage to even getting reps at the wide receiver position.
We spoke to Sherman about her experiences as a three-sport varsity athlete, Mamaroneck’s storybook season and her life off the field.
How did your athletic journey start?
“I have two older brothers, and they started playing sports when they were around five years old. They played travel soccer and travel basketball, so I guess when I turned five, I just followed in the same footsteps and did the same thing.”
How did flag football come into the equation?
“I had been doing track for a bit as a spring sport and then I joined unified basketball for a year. Then, when Vitti started flag football, they started making announcements about this new team. I was a sophomore at the time, and I went to a few interest meetings and started getting involved, so at first, it was just a club, so it wasn’t that intense, and I could still do unified basketball in the spring.
“It turned into something where I realized I was kind of good at it, and I started really liking it. I always hoped it would get to the point that it was a real sport.”
Had flag been presented earlier, do you think you could have considered playing collegiately? “I actually have been thinking a lot about that recently. After our last game, a bunch of parents came up to me and said that I need to get some offers. I remember we went to an event earlier this year where the New York Giants were helping coach us, and they had a few college recruits there. I remember thinking, ‘Is it too late?’ After the section championship, my parents said to me, ‘Imagine if this was last year. You could have gone further with this.’ I think I would have jumped at the possibility because my love for flag football has grown so much.”
What are your college plans for the fall?
“I’m attending the University of Wisconsin, and I have my orientation soon. I want to go to the athletic department and discuss flag teams with them and start talking to them about creating one or starting a club. I’m not ruling out (playing collegiately) just yet.”
What was your thought process while learning how to play defense?
“I knew they needed me as the middle front linebacker. I remember saying, “This is such an important position, so I’m going to play it to the best of my ability. I worked really hard to make sure I was the best that I could be.”
What does it mean to be one of the captains of a team that won a section title in their first real year of competition?
“Even though this was our first year, we all knew we had the potential to go far, so we were just as positive as possible. We make sure to keep routines to get everyone pumped. We smash a wooden board with the other team’s logo on it before every home game, so I think it really helps us believe.”
Aside from playing three sports, do you have any hobbies?
“At my high school, I like to stay really involved with extracurriculars. I’m a part of student council and I help run all of the X and Instagram pages for our athletic department. Outside of Mamaroneck sports, I have been dancing since I was about three years old. I think that’s something that is a sneaky thing about me that isn’t really known. After soccer, basketball and flag football practice, I go and dance for about two hours and I love that.
“I am very into art and take AP 3D Design with clay, and my house is filled with dishes I make for my family to use at home like plates, cups, bowls. I plan to join the clay club next year at Wisconsin.”
Since you have a musical background from dance, do you have a favorite artist?
“Right now I love Olivia Dean.”
Do you guys have any team songs from this playoff run?
“It’s actually a funny story. After we made the playoffs, the coaches decided to give us a rest day. So, they surprised us by taking us all to see the new Michael Jackson movie. We’ve been listening to Michael Jackson songs basically every day at practice now, and it has embedded itself into our pregame playlist. Our team songs now are ‘Beat it,’ ‘Bad,’ or ‘Thriller,’ but we listen to them all the time now. Everyone on our team is saying Michael Jackson things and quoting him. Someone scored a touchdown and went into the endzone, and her celebration was Michael Jackson’s toe-stand dance (the moonwalk). It was really funny.”
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Sarah Sherman is force on defense for Mamaroneck flag football
Reporting by George Caratzas, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
