<\/p>\n
Northwestern wide receiver Dezaria Hampton leaps to make a one-handed catch. Hampton led the Bulls to the Class 2A state flag football final this season.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Northwestern<\/p>\n
Dezaria Hampton wanted to put Miami Northwestern flag football on everyone\u2019s radar this season.<\/p>\n
Mission accomplished.<\/p>\n
Hampton, a junior wide receiver\/defensive back, put together a stellar season that propelled the Bulls to their first ever trip to the state finals in Class 2A and first GMAC tournament championship.<\/p>\n
Along the way, she impressed everyone who saw her play with her combination of speed, reliable hands and playmaking ability.<\/p>\n
And so, Hampton is the Miami Herald\u2019s Miami-Dade County Flag Football Player of the Year.<\/p>\n
Hampton amassed 1,712 receiving yards and caught 31 touchdown passes for the Bulls, who went 18-3 and advanced to the 2A state championship before falling to perennial champion Tampa Robinson.<\/p>\n
She was also a force in Northwestern\u2019s secondary.<\/p>\n
Hampton recorded 11 interceptions and returned two of those picks for touchdowns.<\/p>\n
At a school known for its eight-time state champion boys\u2019 football team, the Bulls\u2019 flag football team appears to have laid the groundwork for potential future championships.<\/p>\n
Miami Northwestern\u2019s Dezaria Hampton is the Miami Herald\u2019s Flag Football Player of the Year. Courtesy of Northwestern <\/p>\n
Hampton was a big part of it this season as the Bulls secured wins during the season against some of Dade\u2019s top teams including back-to-back Class 1A state champion Miami Edison and 2024 Class 4A state champion Miami Palmetto.<\/p>\n
Hampton is one of several returning players for Northwestern, which graduates only two seniors, putting the Bulls in prime position to build off this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight was so great because we feel like the girls never get the attention, and we\u2019ve worked really hard these last few years to try and bring \u2018Bull Pride\u2019 to this program just like the guys have done over the years,\u201d Hampton said after Northwestern won the GMAC championship.<\/p>\n