Claire Sclafani heard her name, screamed and sprinted straight into the arms of her receiver. <\/p>\n
The Longwood rising senior quarterback was named the overall winner at the third annual National Football Foundation Girls QB Challenge on Saturday at Smithtown West. <\/p>\n
And she let everyone know just how much it meant. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe second they said my name, I started screaming,\u201d Sclafani said. \u201cThe first person I grabbed was my receiver, Liana Collazo. She\u2019s been with me through everything. All the training, all the early mornings. She came out here with me today and helped me win. I really do owe everything to the people who stood behind me.\u201d <\/p>\n
An all-around threat with experience at receiver, quarterback and linebacker, Sclafani was one of the top flag football receivers on Long Island last season with 46 catches for 712 yards and six touchdowns. In her one start under center, she completed 15 of 22 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns. Now, with All-Long Island quarterback Delaney Israel graduated, Sclafani will take over the position full time. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve definitely been preparing every single day, every second I can,\u201d Sclafani said. \u201cA big shout-out to Liana. Seven a.m., training, we\u2019re there with a football, we\u2019re working. I kept being told, \u2018Not yet, not yet,\u2019 but I kept going. I really found my passion in this sport.\u201d <\/p>\n
Sclafani plays year-round with Flag Elite, the Jets\u2019 official travel flag football team. But her journey started much earlier. <\/p>\n
\u201cBackyard football with my dad and brother, that\u2019s how it started,\u201d she said. \u201cIn eighth grade, my coach came up to me and said, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re putting together a flag football team. Would you like to join?\u2019 Ever since then, I knew this was my place.\u201d <\/p>\n
She found her calling at quarterback, where she says the control and challenge of the position sparked something in her. <\/p>\n
\u201cQuarterback is the one thing I can control,\u201d she said. \u201cI can control the fate, the pace of the game, where the ball goes, who I\u2019m going to hit. It\u2019s a demanding role, but I wouldn\u2019t want anything else.\u201d <\/p>\n
Still, it\u2019s not always easy. <\/p>\n
\u201cI actually struggle a lot with confidence,\u201d she added. \u201cI rely on my teammates a lot. That\u2019s why we have such a good connection. We lift each other up.\u201d <\/p>\n
The challenge tested 10 of Long Island\u2019s top quarterbacks with a mix of skill-based stations and timed drills, emphasizing accuracy, anticipation, movement and decision-making. Individual winners included Sachem East\u2019s Sofia Larrea (accuracy), Lynbrook\u2019s Aliye Simsek (anticipation), Half Hollow Hills\u2019 Samantha Heyman (IQ), and Valley Stream Central\u2019s Gabriella Rivera (receiver). <\/p>\n
Simsek, a Lynbrook senior who threw for 735 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for 450 yards and seven touchdowns last season, said the event was as much about camaraderie as competition. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was just really excited to meet up with all the QBs,\u201d Simsek said. \u201cLast year, I didn\u2019t really know anyone. But this year was different. We all had each other\u2019s backs, and it made everything less nerve-wracking.\u201d <\/p>\n
She started her flag career at center as a freshman before being moved to quarterback two hours before a game as a sophomore. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was scared. I was like, what are you talking about? I\u2019ve never played that before,\u201d Simsek said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t that good at first, but I did a lot of training and here I am now. I got the anticipation award. It shows how far I\u2019ve come.\u201d <\/p>\n
As for Sclafani, Saturday\u2019s victory wasn\u2019t just a trophy moment. <\/p>\n
\u201cI proved how much dedication I have, how much passion I have,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to keep playing. I want to win the [Long Island championship], get to the state championship. I know we have it in us. We just have to keep working, and I know I will.\u201d<\/p>\n
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