Lady Mavericks excel in inaugural flag football season
Emily Martin, Captain
Competing in the Knox County High School Flag Football League, the Lady Mavericks seized an unexpected opportunity after Knoxville’s L&N STEM Academy withdrew due to a lack of players.
Anderson County was the only non-Knox County team in the league, but the Lady Gryphons’ departure opened the door for the Lady Mavs to step in.
“We didn’t get a set of home games,” said Anderson County Coach Jonathan Cotton.
“L&N STEM couldn’t field a team, so [Knox County] called and asked if we wanted to play.”
The Lady Mavericks answered the call, finishing 8-2 overall and 6-2 in league play. They hosted Powell and Karns in late-season non-league games, defeating both teams and avenging an earlier loss to Powell.
The league included Anderson County, Austin-East, Powell, Hardin Valley Academy, Bearden, Farragut, Knoxville Halls, Knoxville Central, Karns, South-Doyle, Fulton, Carter, Gibbs, Career Magnet Academy, and Knoxville West.
Games were held over five weeks, with doubleheaders played on
Monday nights at various Knox County locations.
Although Anderson County was a late addition to the league, the team was far from an afterthought.
Cotton, who also serves as an assistant football coach for the Mavericks and as a youth coach, lobbied Athletic Director Gary Terry for the coaching role.
“I told Coach Terry that I wanted to be the coach, and I think I bugged him long enough that he gave me the job,” Cotton said. “I think he finally gave me the job so I’d leave him alone.”
Once he was given the job, Cotton went all-in, assembling a team with the help of senior Emily Martin, who served as captain. Martin, a standout goalkeeper for the Lady Mavericks soccer team, recruited players from soccer, track, and softball.
“During Maverick Day, I was running around and doing all the things I had to do,” Cotton said.
“I made Emily my captain and told her to go find girls who wanted to play flag football. Emily isa senior. She’s a leader, and she’s our captain.”
The inaugural roster included soccer players Martin and Bralee Hall, as well as softball standout Kaycee Baldwin, among others.
Cotton recruited a coaching staff from the school’s football program and nearby.
Ryan Moog, a former ACHS football player and current assistant on Gillum’s staff, was appointed to be the defensive coordinator. Jonah Hedges is a quarterback coach in Knoxville. Craig Owens is the coach of the freshman football team and the football program’s strength and conditioning coach.
“Ryan has done a great job creating a defense the girls can understand,” Cotton said. “Craig is a jack-of-all-trades, and Jonah has been fantastic mentoring our quarterbacks.”
Quarterbacks Keianna Gillum and freshman Izzy Ausilio led the Lady Mavs’ offense.
“We have two girls who can really sling it,” Cotton said. “Keianna missed the Austin-East game, and Izzy came in and threw the ball well.”
Although the Lady Mavericks’ debut season was a success, the players were left wanting more.
“Our girls just want to play,” Cotton said. “They stayed on the practice field until 9 p.m. some nights, and I had to tell them to go home. They want to be part of something big at the school.”
Looking ahead, Cotton hopes to schedule more games in the spring and potentially receive an invitation to the state tournament in May.
Flag football continues to grow, with Anderson County and other league teams set to become eligible for TSSAA competition in 2026. Players from this year’s team have earned scholarship offers, a trend Cotton expects to continue.
“I have a daughter and she wants to play,” he said. “I (got) her a football for Christmas and she wants to be a center. She’s out in the yard every day and working hard at it.
“Sometimes, she works harder at football than my son,” he said. “We need to get the game out into the community. We need to go to Lake City and NAGAF and get them to start girls flag football leagues.”
Moog, who enjoyed his first season coaching the sport, praised the community’s support.
“It was great to see how involved the community got,” he said.
“It was great to look up in the stands and see all the people there. The girls really enjoyed playing.”
