Defense lifts Palo Verde past Silverado in flag football title game

Palo Verde has plenty of football tradition. The Panthers added to it Wednesday.

Palo Verde won the first Clark County School District girls flag football championship, holding off Silverado 7-6 in the title game at Green Valley.

Defense was the key, with both teams scoring once in the first half. But the difference might have been in penalties, as the Skyhawks were flagged 10 times for 90 yards.

“It was a defensive struggle between two very good teams,” Panthers coach Kevin Hagood said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling to win this title. Football has such a proud tradition at Palo Verde, and I’m glad that we were able to put our names in the history book.”

Silverado (18-4), which defeated previously unbeaten Green Valley in Tuesday’s semifinals, scored first on Danni Parven’s 50-yard run 75 seconds into the game for a 6-0 lead.

But Palo Verde (21-1) stiffened on defense after that, allowing 144 yards the remainder of the game.

The Skyhawks appeared to be headed for a two-score lead late in the first half, with a first-and-goal at the Palo Verde 10. But Alexa D’Acunto intercepted quarterback Nina Jensen in the end zone.

Palo Verde then marched 61 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Quarterback Kaitlyn Millican found Caitlin Dorsey, who made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone, for a 1-yard score. Millican then found Morgan Myers for a 1-point conversion, and the Panthers led 7-6.

“To score before the half was huge,” Hagood said. “Since the first meeting, all we talked about was getting to this game. To build a program from the beginning and reach the pinnacle in the first season is an awesome feeling.”

Millican, who had a stretch of 14 straight completions, finished 18-for-21 for 118 yards. Markie Henderson added 65 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Parven had 99 yards rushing on eight carries but managed just 8 yards in the second half. The Skyhawks had 56 yards of offense in the second half.