LIVE OAK — In a way, Suwannee’s development in flag football paralleled that of recent graduate Jessica Tran, the team’s quarterback and linebacker.
The sport was in its third season at SHS when Tran entered as a freshman, and the Bulldogs were coming off a 4-10 season.
Suwannee has not had a losing season since, going 42-23 in the last four seasons with Tran on the roster. The program’s progress climaxed when the Bulldogs overcame a 2-6 midseason stretch to win the school’s first regional playoff game, edging Santa Fe 7-6 in the Region 1-1A quarterfinals last month.
Tran, as she had all season, proved to be the difference maker with a 40-yard interception return late in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead, which stood for the historic one-point victory before the Bulldogs were eliminated by Florida High in the regional semis. During the two-game district playoff leading up to the Santa Fe game, Tran threw five touchdown passes and ran for one in postseason wins over Jefferson County (14-0) and Baldwin (18-7).
For her efforts, Tran has been selected at the Lake City Reporter’s Flag Football Player of the Year.
“I give a lot of credit to coach (Jacob) Pitts,” Tran said. “He’s the one who believed in me. He thought I could play that role, of being a leader (as a starting quarterback).
“And also to coach (Marisley) Leal. She’s an awesome mentor to me and the girls. “She’s the type you can go to for anything, not just with things on the field.”
According to Pitts, he and Leal didn’t hesitate to give Tran the responsibility of being handed the keys to the team.
“Just from a coach’s perspective, I asked her to do more this year than I’ve ever asked a player to do,” Pitts said. “She had to QB, manage some new offensive players who didn’t remember their plays, come get the play call every down.”
Pitts went on to add that Tran even made sure his two young children feel included on the sidelines at the games.
“There was never a moment of complaint, no back talk, no pity parties,” Pitts said of Tran. “I’ve had her for four years and she is one in a million. I’m going to miss her.”
Among the special memories of the season was the night her Vietnamese-born parents Duc and Sandy Phan attended their first and only game their daughter played, and it was on Senior Night against Baker County.
“They’re working all the time, so they never were able to go to a game, and no one has seen them before the game,” said Tran, who was born in Tifton, Ga. “That meant a lot to me that they were able to watch me for the first time on Senior Night.”
It turned out to be a memorable game as well, with Tran accounting for the game-winning 20-yard touchdown run in the final minute for a 6-0 Suwannee win.
She credits part of her quick development in the sport to the frequent camps run by Florida Gateway College coach Ricky Hufty, who was previously the head coach at Suwannee.
“In the offseason, he hosted a bunch of camps for girls,” Tran said, “and I attended every camp I could, and I would just put every effort into it, wanting to get better. I think that helped me to be where I am today.”
Tran said she’s currently weighing options for colleges, but said she’ll pursue a major in sports management where she hopes to become a sports agent.
“I just hope to continue to stay with flag football and make an impact,” Tran said.