Leopards fall 20-15 to Deltona in regional flag football final

Hernando was one defensive stand away from another regional title before Deltona turned a late interception into a touchdown and escaped with a 20-15 win in the Region 2A girls flag football final.

The Leopards led 15-14 at halftime and spent much of the night matching the unbeaten Wolves, who entered the matchup at 20-0. Hernando’s first-half defense set the tone, with interceptions helping create scoring chances and keeping the Leopards in front against one of the state’s most complete teams.

The game swung late when Deltona’s Frantashia Williams broke through with the decisive interception return for a touchdown. That play produced the final margin and ended Hernando’s chance to pull off the road upset and move on to the state semifinals.

Deltona’s other key scores came from Ciara Ash and Camora Pate, and the Wolves finished with two interceptions in the game. Hernando’s second-half execution slipped just enough for Deltona to capitalize, but the Leopards still forced the champions to earn every yard before the final turnover flipped the result.

The loss ended Hernando’s three-game away winning streak and left the Leopards at 14-4 for the season. It also closed another deep postseason run that began with a 25-13 win over Weeki Wachee in the regional quarterfinals and continued with a regional semifinal victory over Clay.

That matters in Hernando County because this program has moved quickly from newcomer to standard-bearer. In 2025, Hernando became the first county flag football team to win a regional championship, and head coach Tyson Ellis said then that the program was only in its third year. The Leopards followed that breakthrough with a trip to the state semifinal, where they trailed Robinson 13-6 at halftime before falling 34-12, a showing that underscored how far the program had come.

The 2026 regional final was played Thursday, May 7, with the state semifinals and championships scheduled for May 15-16 at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa. For Hernando, the narrow loss to Deltona was a reminder that girls flag football in the county is no longer just growing. It is already competing on the edge of the state’s top tier.