Charlene Thome, Seminole Ridge: Post All-Area flag football player of the year

Friday, June 04, 2010
by Joseph Kairalla

Photo by Ray Graham/The Palm Beach Post

Click here to see other players of the year and All-Area teams.

Charlene Thome always has been the type of player to set goals and then achieve them.

The Seminole Ridge senior wide receiver/pass rusher set a pre-season goal to break the team record for fastest time in the 40 yard dash. Sure enough, prior to the Hawks' first game, Thome clocked 4.83, breaking the team record of 4.9.

She hasn't slowed down since.

"The quarterbacks we play against are the best of the best so, I have to be as fast as I can," said Thome, who led the Hawks to a 17-1 record and the Hawks' first state title.

While the most important player on a flag football team is usually the quarterback, and Hilary Mears was excellent for the Hawks, Thome found a way to dominate on defense.

Hawks coach Austin Bowe moved Thome from linebacker to rusher before the season and says it was Thome's play on defense that was the key to the Hawks' state championship.

"I believe that the game is won more on defense, so I enjoyed the challenge of trying to stop great opposing players," Thome said. "If the other team can't score, they can't win."

Though she made her biggest contributions on defense, Thome put up impressive numbers on offense with 104 catches for 1,398 yards and 16 TDs.

"Charlene was the player who always got special attention from the opposing defense," Bowe said. "But she would still find a way to dominate games."

Thome called her senior season a perfect ending to her career.

"We wanted to win state so bad because a lot of us were seniors and this was our last chance," she said. "This year couldn't have gone any better. It was perfect from the start."

COACH OF THE YEAR

Austin Bowe

Seminole Ridge

Led the Hawks to a 17-1 season that included the first state championship in school history.

FIRST TEAM

Taylor Shade

Boynton Beach, So., QB/S

Topped 3,600 total yards and 44 touchdowns.

Patrice Collie

Royal Palm Beach,

Sr., QB/S

Totalled 2,672 yards with 29 TDs for Wildcats.

Brittany Lear

Jupiter, Sr., QB/S

Reigning player of the year led the Warriors to regional playoffs.

Hilary Mears

Seminole Ridge

Sr., QB/LB

Totalled 51 touchdowns and led the Hawks to the state title.

Kristina Kartude

Palm Beach Gardens, Sr., QB/S

A four-year starter who scored 12 TDs, and added five interceptions and 52 flag pulls.

Porsche Shakes

Palm Beach Central, Sr., QB/S

Had more than 75 percent of the Broncos' offense and also dominated on defense.

Taylor McClain

Seminole Ridge, Sr., WR/LB

Had 104 receptions for 1,269 yards and 16 TDs. On defense, she added eight INTs.

SECOND TEAM

Mariah Tiona Boca Raton, Sr.

Dixie Greenland Royal Palm, So.

Shannon Casper, Jupiter, Sr.

Bianca Lagos Sem. Ridge, Jr.

Dilynn Russo, Dwyer

Brigette Zavithsanos, Palm Beach Gardens

Tanisha Thermidor, Lake Worth

HONORABLE MENTION

West Boca: Mary Trebitz; Boca Raton: Kelly McWilliams;

Park Vista: Brittany Wallace; Pope John Paul II: Katie Capobianco, Ashley Burkhardt; Jupiter: Megan Higgins;

Boynton Beach: Sharneshia Robinson, Avante Atwaters; PB Central: Leikiera Brown; PB Gardens: Kristen Durham