Davie Western High senior competes in Pro Bowl flag football game
Cherish Huggins is perfectly named.
Huggins, a 17-year-old senior at Western High, clearly cherished her recent trip to San Francisco, where she competed in Tuesday’s NFL-sanctioned Girls’ Flag Football Showcase at the Moscone Center.
Huggins, a 5-foot-9 defensive back, represented the Miami Dolphins and competed on the AFC team that defeated the NFC, 7-6. No other Miami-Dade or Broward player was chosen for the game, which was part of the Pro Bowl activities.
“I will remember this forever,” Huggins said. “I took pictures with (NFL receiver) CeeDee Lamb and (retired running back) Marshall Faulk. It was a great experience.”
The experience started on Dec. 23 when Huggins got an e-mail that in the subject line read: NFL FLAG GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE. The e-mail also offered “congratulations” to Huggins for this “incredible opportunity.”
Huggins was initially skeptical, but there was enough detail in the e-mail that she got excited and shared the news with her loved ones, including her mom, Magdalina Joseph; dad, Bernard Huggins; and grandmother, Linda Hall.
Huggins said she flew out to San Francisco, by herself, on Sunday, and, besides the game, she and the 31 other girls participated in a number of fun activities.
Among other things, the girls went on a boat cruise with full view of the Golden Gate Bridge; they went on a Ferris wheel; they played miniature golf and enjoyed an arcade; and they hung out on the pier and ate at In-N-Out Burger.
Huggins said she made lots of friendships with the other girls on the two teams, exchanging Instagram information.
“The girls were fun, kind, energetic and outgoing,” Huggins said. “And they were good athletes too.”
Huggins said she doesn’t know how she was selected for the game, and Western coach James O’Brien said he was never asked for a recommendation.
But West Express club-team coach Antwon Chaney, who has mentored Huggins since her freshman year, can unlock the mystery. Huggins, Chaney said, has impressed on the club circuit, traveling to California; Arizona; Texas; Tennessee; and Pennsylvania with West Express.
“People have noticed her talent,” Chaney said. “Cherish is tall and rangy, and her hands have improved. She’s humble and coachable, and she’s had college offers since her freshman year.”
Indeed, Huggins, who has a 3.4 grade-point average, is considering committing to play flag football next year at Purdue University Northwest, an NCAA Division II school located in Indiana.
Huggins said she intends to major in Psychology, which is interesting because her own psyche has seemed to benefit greatly from her Pro Bowl experience.
After starting her high school career at Coral Glades, Huggins transferred to Western in time for the 2025 flag season.
“When she got to us, she was raw and uncertain,” O’Brien said. “She started playing football relatively late (age 13). She lacked experience.
“But she got better as the year went on as she understood more about coverages. She’s a quick learner, and we expect her to be a playmaker this year.”
O’Brien said Huggins came back from San Francisco with more confidence.
“She’s all smiles now,” O’Brien said. “She’s always been a high-character kid. She shows up on time. She shakes my hand after practice. But now her energy is much better, and she’s come out of her shell.”