- April 21, 2026
Mainland's flag football players celebrate their 14-12 district semifinal victory against Lake Howell. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland quarterback Natalie Williams threw two touchdown passes to Terri Williams in the Bucs' 14-12 win over Lake Howell. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland's Jada Rawls extends the ball for a best spot as her flag is pulled. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland's Natalie Williams gets set to throw a pass. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Mainland flag football player Shamya Scott said she didn’t want her senior season to end. So she kept it alive. The senior rusher had five sacks, including three key stops in the fourth quarter, to help Mainland hold off Lake Howell 14-12 in a District 4-3A semifinal on Tuesday, April 21, at Matanzas High School.
The Bucs will meet No. 1 seed Oviedo in the district championship game on Thursday, April 23, at Matanzas. Oviedo defeated Lyman 25-6 in Tuesday’s second game.
Mainland quarterback Natalie Williams threw two touchdown passes to Terri Williams and added two extra-point passes. But the quarterback also threw two fourth-quarter interceptions to give the Silverhawks a chance to pull ahead. The Bucs’ defense held Lake Howell on downs both times. Scott and Elena Mendoza each had a sack after the first interception.
After Lake Howell’s Marley Hamilton intercepted a pass with a 1:04 left to give the Silver Hawks one more chance, Scott came up big with two more sacks, and Lake Howell turned the ball over on downs.
“I’m so proud of Shamya’s growth,” Mainland coach Ethan Simpon said of the defensive captain. “We have a defensive tradition here. And we told them from the beginning that they would have a lot on their backs this year while we develop our offense.”
The Bucs have a lot of young players on offense. Natalie Williams is a fourth-year player, but this is her first year playing quarterback.
Lake Howell quarterback Vail Gallagher ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass but her two PAT passes fell incomplete. The Silver Hawks (12-5) are ranked seventh in the region, and despite the loss they will still have a chance to make the playoffs. The Bucs (9-8), are ranked 14th, so they will have to win the district to keep their season going.
“All year we’ve had our ups and downs, but they continue to fight,” Simpson said. “Last year we lost to Lake Howell 18-0 in the district semifinals, so you can see the growth.”
