Football
Lessons from Bijan! How the Atlanta Falcons star RB is helping grow flag football in Savannah
Flag football is one of the fastest growing high school sports in Georgia, and the Savannah area has emerged as a hotbed of talent with local schools like Calvary Day, New Hampstead and St. Vincent’s excelling, while Southeast Bulloch has a dynasty going with three straight state titles.
On Saturday, the sport was in the spotlight as the Atlanta Falcons held a free clinic at Calvary Day as players like Bijan Robinson and Zach Harrison were on hand to help with a group of about 70 athletes participating.
“We’ve been doing these clinics since 2020 when flag football was sanctioned (by the GHSA) as a high school sport in Georgia,” said Falcons Community Relations Manager Danielle Renner. “And we thought it would be great to have one here with all the great talent with teams like Southeast Bulloch and Calvary Day.
“Before flag football started, you could see the passion the girls had for the game during Homecoming Weeks each year when they would have the Powder Puff football games. Now the girls have a league of their own, and they’re getting to realize a dream they never had the opportunity to pursue before.”
Sierra Lowery of Calvary Day is one of the top players in Savannah. Last season, the receiver/defensive back was an All-Greater Savannah first-team selection as she caught 70 passes for 709 yards and 19 touchdowns, while intercepting 13 passes and pulling 28 flags on defense for a Calvary squad that reached the state quarterfinals.
“This clinic means a lot to us because it shows that people see and appreciate how much our sport is growing,” said Lowery, a rising senior and an ‘A’ student. “They see the potential in us. I always watched football growing up and I’m a Panthers fan, but I didn’t think I’d ever be able to play. Once they started with flag football, I was ecstatic. I knew it was the sport I wanted to play.
“Next year, we have only one goal — that’s to win state. We’ve come close in the last couple years, and that makes us want it even more.”
Calvary Day did win a state title in the first year flag football was played in the GHSA, when Lowery was an eighth grader.
Calvary Day Coach Nick Grassi has been instrumental in the growth of the sport in the Coastal Empire as he runs the South Elite Flag Football Club. The organization grew from one team to three this year, and looks to continue to trend upward as more players show interest.
“It’s hard to explain the growth of our sport, but it seems like it’s doubling every year,” Grassi said. “This is big to have a professional team like the Falcons supporting flag football and holding an event like this. As a fan of the team, it means a lot to me that they are holding these clinics.”
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
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