By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
The Billingsley Lady Bears flag football team competed in the program’s first ever flag football competition in August 2025 when they faced Prattville’s JV team and a combination of varsity and JV players from Marbury. In their first ever competition, the Bears dropped a close game to Marbury 8-6. In their second game they tied Prattville’s JV team, 6-6. Trailing 6-0 late in the game, quarterback Mia Schuffert threw a game tying touchdown pass to Harmony Arnold. It was a promising start for a Class 1A school competing against much larger schools.
Starting a flag football program at Billingsley has been a memorable experience for Head Coach Jason Fisher, who has the added bonus of coaching his daughter, 7th grader Ella Fisher. The 7th grader had two receptions in the opening games.
“It felt surreal,” Coach Fisher said when asked about coaching the team in their first ever game. “From Saturday until we kicked it off I was definitely nervous. Most of it was me over thinking about us being prepared. My wife Rachel told me over and over we will be fine. My two assistants Chris Arnold and Randy McCary also said the same thing. Even my 7th grade daughter who is one of our wide receivers even gave me words of encouragement. Once game day got here and we took the field I felt calm knowing I was right where I needed to be. Adding the community, administrative and Athletic Director’s support made making history for our team feel even sweeter.”
After the opening two games, the Bears competed in a tournament over the weekend and faced off against Helena, Percy Julian, and Carver.
The Bears earned the program’s first ever victory with a 22-0 victory against Percy Julian. In the win, Kinsley Cotton threw a touchdown pass to Alana Jones. The Bears also had touchdown rushes from Ja’Kayla Harris and Mia Schuffert.
“Winning the first game in a flag football program’s history is a significant achievement and a moment to be celebrated for years to come. A first-ever win is a huge confidence booster for a new program. It shows that the hard work of the players and coaches is paying off and provides a positive starting point for future seasons. It sets a precedent of success and also gives us positive momentum and motivation. It motivates everyone involved – players, coaches, and even the school or community – to keep pushing forward. It’s proof that they can compete and win. A first game win is more than a victory on the scoreboard. It’s a symbol of hope, hard work, and the exciting potential of a new flag football program.”
The process of starting a flag football program at Billingsley started when 21 girls tried out for the team, but two players decided not to play prior to the season. “When it came to positions, we let all the girls try any position they wanted and we evaluated them on their skills. When it got closer to summer practice time you could tell who separated themselves at certain positions. Starting a program has been a very fun process. Our AD Lanny Jones knew it takes money and being new there was no money in an account for flag football, so he said football would help us in year one getting what we need. Plus the support of our administration made game one special with a champions walk for the first game. But that support also comes from other coaches that share athletes. Seeing the town of Billingsley at our game made me feel like this is the right school for this sport.”
