Poise and swagger oozed from Fountain-Fort Carson’s flag football team all afternoon.

From touchdown celebrations in the spray-painted end zones at Weidner Field in downtown Colorado Springs, dances after defensive stops to punt celebrations — yes, the Trojans had coordinated chants when they punted — Fountain-Fort Carson ensured this was a memorable experience.

Fountain-Fort Carson defeated Colorado Springs Christian School 20-7 and scored the final three touchdowns during Friday’s inaugural Pikes Peak Kickoff Classic.

“This was so exciting and such an amazing experience for the girls,” Fountain-Fort Carson quarterback Grayce Jacobs said. “This was especially an amazing experience for the girls who have never played flag football before.”

Jacobs, who earned offensive player of the game, extinguished any momentum the Lions (1-1) could muster with a sharp performance.

Fountain-Fort Carson (2-3) trailed 7-0 with 6:56 left in the second quarter after Lions quarterback Hayley Helwege connected with Anna Glojek on fourth down. But three plays later, Jacobs broke free of the Lions’ rush and scored a 50-yard touchdown and followed with the extra point to make it 7-7 with 6:01 left in the half.

The Trojans marched down the field on their first possession of the second half and Jacobs punched it in from three yards away. Jacobs added the extra point to make it 14-7 with 10:42 left in the third.

One play after Fountain-Fort Carson punted late in the fourth, the Trojans intercepted Helwege’s pass, took possession and Jacobs connected with Alyssia Almada with four seconds left in the game to give Fountain-Fort Carson a 20-7 advantage.

“I definitely took some deep breaths before every snap,” Jacobs said. “How much I’m supported by these girls calmed my nerves. You can’t get in your head a ton during the game, so I just locked in and made sure I stayed focused on what was happening on the field.”

The Trojans helped alleviate any pressure on their offense with a stingy defensive outing. Fountain-Fort Carson forced three interceptions, several flag pulls for loss and put constant pressure on Helwege in the backfield.

Haliana Draper was one of several Trojans to stymie the Lions’ offense and her efforts earned the senior defensive player of the game. Draper, an appropriate name for how she blanketed Colorado Springs Christian receivers and burst into the backfield, knew the Lions game plan included containing her. That didn’t matter.

“I needed to lock in and go straight for the quarterback and read the defense,” Draper said. “They were focusing on me and wanted to screen me. … Coach always tells me to slow down, but when I burst, I get past them and that helps me a lot.”

Draper demonstrated track speed that she hasn’t had an opportunity to display since her sophomore year. An injury sidelined the now-senior two years ago and, after transferring from Mesa Ridge to Fountain-Fort Carson, Draper lost the opportunity to compete as a junior. Now, she’s happy with her performance at the inaugural event.

“This is my first year playing flag football and this means a lot to me,” Draper said. “I’ve been working hard to work on my rushing and I think it showed this game.”

For the Lions, this is their first loss, but they’re thankful for the opportunity to represent their school and city at the Pikes Peak Kickoff Classic. Coach Aaron Moore said,

“I’m always proud of my girls” and noted how composed his players remained throughout the week and in the matchup with the Trojans. “I didn’t feel like they had any nerves at all,” Moore said. “I’m proud of them and they worked hard this week. We doubled up (practices) some days and they put in the work and they came in prepared. Even though we didn’t walk away with the win, they handled the nerves very well.”