The pool of competition doubled, and the degree of difficulty increased.
One thing that didn't change was the result: The De La Salle Cavaliers, who won the inaugural Saints High School Flag Football championship in 2024, repeated the feat this season courtesy of a 7-0 victory over Warren Easton on Wednesday at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center.
The win capped a perfect season (8-0) for the Cavaliers in a year that the league swelled from 10 to 20 teams (25 players per team) and the resistance intensified.
"It was definitely difficult, because they have film on us now and I've had coaches come up to me and say, 'We saw y'all on film, we're running y'all's plays,'" Cavaliers Coach George Neumiller said. "So, it's an honor to have them saying that, but it is tougher because they've seen our plays, they've played us before, they're studying film like every team would be. So it's difficult."
In the five-week season, the four five-team divisions played each division opponent once, plus one game against a non-division opponent.
The Cavaliers and Warren Easton (6-2) emerged from the fray in part due to having the two stingiest defenses in the league; De La Salle entered the championship game with a 111-6 scoring differential, and the Eagles were at 68-18 against their previous seven opponents. Each earned a first-round playoff bye.
Neither disappointed in the final, but the Cavaliers rallied behind a touchdown pass by sophomore quarterback Tamia Cole with 12:20 left in the second half, and an interception in each half by senior Rae'l Simons.
Cole's throw – a scramble to the left provided time for her receiver to uncover as Cole threw back to the right – provided the offensive fireworks.
"First, I'm trying to read the defense, see who's open," Cole said. "And I'm trying to lead the receiver to the ball.
"(Winning the title) was very satisfying being able to prove everybody wrong that said they could beat us and that they're better and they were coming for us. Being able to show that we're still the No. 1 team, we're still on top."
"People keep asking me when she's going to graduate, she's only a sophomore but to be quarterback you've got to be calm, your mind-set has got to be right," Neumiller said. "She stays calm all the time – she doesn't freak out, she doesn't panic. She's a great quarterback, she's a great athlete. She can roll out, she can make time and create throws down the field."
Simons' two picks helped keep the Eagles off the board in the first half, and helped ensure the lead would stand in the second.
"When I see it coming to me, all I think about is catching it," Simons said.
"Having more competition (this season) was fun. I like competing. That's the best way to go out. I'm glad we went out this way."
In the blossoming league, overwhelmingly littered with underclassmen for the two teams in the final, nine players have college scholarship offers to play flag football.
The number of participants and scholarship offers could increase next season. The resistance, undoubtedly, will intensify for the two-time champs, who already have experience with how the respective ramp ups look and feel.
"It was much tougher," Neumiller said. "We'd shoot ourselves in the foot during the game (Tuesday, in the semifinal against John Curtis) and today, but they stay calm, they don't panic and they stay the course. They've been champions before so they've been there before."
