MURFREESBORO, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The West Creek flag football team traveled to Murfreesboro for day two of the TSSAA Flag Football State Championships on Friday, in which the Coyotes fell in an instant classic to Walker Valley, 20-14, sending the Mustangs to the final four and ending West Creek’s season.

After Walker Valley quarterback Lyla Sims got the scoring started with a touchdown, the Coyotes immediately responded on their next drive, with Nicole Cushenberry getting loose and outrunning the entire Mustang defense on her way to the endzone.

After a stop by the defense, West Creek quarter Lulu Merriweather found MJ Anthony in the back of the endzone for another score, and the Coyotes took an eight-point lead. Right before the half though, Sims found Gabbi Creswell on an out route to cut the Coyotes lead to 14-13.

Each team struggled to find a rhythm on offense after coming out of halftime. Both times the Mustang offense threatened, Cushenberry took flight to pick off a pass, twice. After a battle of punting for field position, Sims broke loose on a scramble for a 20-yard score, giving Walker Valley a 20-14 lead.

| Previously: West Creek wins 2, loses 1 in first day of state flag football championships | PHOTOS

WCHS drives down to the two-yard line for chance to win

Merriweather led the Coyotes down to the two-yard line on the team’s final possession, but they were stonewalled there. On the last play of the game, Jaylei Graham sacked the quarterback before she got a throw off, and the Mustangs celebrated a final four berth.

“This tournament was a battle of endurance,” said Coyotes head coach Aaron King. “We had never played back-to-back-to back games before, and we knew Walker Valley would be tough. It’s unfortunate that we stalled out there, but in a game like this, the simple mistakes were what got us.”

The Coyotes can still hold their heads high, coming back to Clarksville as one of the best eight teams in the state of Tennessee, along with a region title, their second in four years. This senior class is the first in program history to play flag football for four years and has left a legacy that the halls of West Creek will not soon forget.

“These seniors and this team are special,” King told Clarksville Now. “(I’m) really impressed with how they responded, and I’m thankful for what they did for this program. As of now, we’ve got a young team, but this experience has been good. We’ve played the best teams, and we got to see what it looks and sounds like. We will be ready for it next year.”

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