Peekskill’s flag football postseason run came to an end on Wednesday afternoon (May 14) with a 15-0 first-round sectional loss to Somers at home. The girls were without star player Jealina Searight, who was injured, and they endured a tough evening in the rain struggling to find their rhythm.  

The last time Peekskill and Somers faced off in April, the match ended in a scoreless draw. But this time, with Searight unavailable, Peekskill called up junior varsity players to fill the gap. Unfortunately, the Somers Tuskers took full advantage of a weakened and less experienced Peekskill side, and took full control of the game from the start. With the win, Somers advances to face No.2 seed Tappan Zee in the quarterfinals on Saturday, May 17. 

When reached by the Herald, Jealina Searight shared her thoughts on the game. “I didn’t play in today’s game [May 14] due to my ACL being torn but my teammates played hard and tried to hold on the best they could.” Jealina confirmed her injury occurred during Peekskill’s game against Putnam Valley on May 2.

Head coach Tyrone Searight, Jealina’s cousin, believes her absence made a significant impact. “It was tough without Jojo,” he said. Her injury also affected the team’s push for a league title, which instead went to Lakeland on May 7.

Despite the early postseason exit, Coach Searight continues to have a positive outlook on the season. “Overall, the girls had a great season – similar to last year – but this year we won enough games to get a home playoff game. Having a chance to compete for our league title was a great accomplishment.”

Coach Searight has led the Peekskill flag football program since its inception in 2022, when New York Section 1 Athletics first introduced the sport. This year, Searight will lose 12 seniors to graduation, but he isn’t concerned about the future. He says interest in the sport has increased over the years.

“We had so many girls come out, this year we started a JV. My son TJ actually teaches the JV squad.”

Peekskill finishes the 2025 season with an overall record of 8-5-3.