By Mike Zima

Correspondent

GREEN COVE SPRINGS - The relationship between a father and a teenage daughter is a delicate one. Be too harsh, and she may withdraw. Be too lenient, and she may never learn the discipline required to succeed.

Clay High School flag football coach Jared Moses found just the right words for his daughter Teaghan Moses, who had thrown two interceptions in the first half of their Class 1A region semifinal match against Stanton Prep as the host Blue Devils entered the intermission trailing 6-0. His words turned his daughter’s outlook around, and the sophomore responded with two rushing touchdowns in the second half to lift Clay to a 12-6 victory over Stanton in an FHSAA Class 1A regional semifinal on April 23.

“A dad-daughter relationship, number one, is special and number two, is really hard,” said Moses. “I am normally a lot more hard on her. I just pulled her aside calmly and said, ‘Look, you can’t let those two interceptions get to you. You’re fine, and we are going to win the game.’”

In the other two flag football playoff games, top seed Fleming Island lost their first game of the 2024 season with a 33-12 loss to Fletcher in the Class 2A region playoff semifinal to end their season at 15-1. In Tallahassee, Middleburg, a surprise winner over Bradford County in their playoff opener having lost to Bradford County in their district final, ended their season with a 41-0 loss to FSU High School, now 13-1. Middleburg finishes at 9-6.

At Clay High, Teaghan Moses, who has thrown for more than 2,000 yards in 13 games this season, set up both of her scoring runs with deep completions down the right sideline. Facing a fourth and 10 on Clay’s first possession of the third quarter, the right-hander connected with fellow sophomore Cora Parker for 26 yards to the Blue Devils’ four yard line. Moses ran two quarterback sneaks from there, scoring on the second attempt by reaching the ball over the goal line as her flag was pulled.

On their next possession, Moses rolled to her right and lofted a rainbow that Yuliana Garcia hauled in for a 30 yard gain to the Stanton one yard line. After penalties against each team on the next two plays, Moses again took a shotgun snap and ran up the middle and across the goal line for the game-winning points.

“Friends of mine say she is faster than you think,” Jared Moses said of Teaghan Moses’ ability to run. “I think she surprises people.”

The two first-half interceptions might have doomed the Blue Devils had it not been for their stifling defense. The only Stanton touchdown, a four yard reverse sweep by speedster Courtney Brown around left end, came after a nine-yard drive set up by Gabrielle Fajardo’s interception and 10 yard return on Clay’s opening possession.

Senior linebacker Kenzie Burke had an interception at midfield that led to Moses’ first touchdown.

Clay, now 12-1, will host the regional final against Jacksonville Ed White on April 30.