Maryland
Clarksburg Flag Football Player Aysia Jones-Robinson is Attempting to Revolutionize the Sport
Recently, girls flag football has become a major high school sport in the U.S. For Clarksburg High School in Maryland, junior Aysia Jones-Robinson has been looking to revolutionize flag football.
Jones-Robinson, who plays both quarterback on offense and cornerback on defense, led Clarksburg to Maryland’s first high school girls flag football state championship in 2024.
“It’s a blessing,” said Jones-Robinson. “A lot of schools have it now, and not a lot of people make it. For us to be one of those teams that do, it feels amazing.”
For 2025, the Coyotes finished the regular season as the top girls flag football team in Montgomery County with a perfect 10-0 record. They went on to crush Paint Branch 42-8 in the County Championship.
The 2025 Maryland girls flag football playoffs began in late October, with Clarksburg being the top seed in the 4A-3A West Region. They shut out Oakdale 41-0 in the second round on Nov. 1, with Jones-Robinson throwing four touchdown passes and rushing for a score.
“First, to do it the first time, nobody did it,” said Jones-Robinson. “The second time, we’re more connected than we were last year. We have a great team chemistry, great team bond. I think we have the potential to go back, and I think it fully.”
Last year, Montgomery, the largest public school system in Maryland, launched girls flag football as a pilot program along with Baltimore City and Washington County. This resulted in the Coyotes’ program coming into play.
“I saw that it was a new sport at the school,” said Jones-Robinson. “I told my friends, ‘Let’s do it.’ We got good at it, and we just never stopped from there.”
Clarksburg girls flag football head coach Kyle Landefeld has done a remarkable job with Jones-Robinson and the team in general. He also happens to be a social studies teacher at the school.
“I’ll tell you what, you just never know what’s going to happen,” said Landefeld. “But you know it’s always going to be good. As a coach, you just sit there and smile and go, ‘This life’s good.’ So I love it.”
“Landy’s a great coach,” said Jones-Robinson. “We have a great coaching staff, great supported staff. It’s just a great program, great energy around everybody. Nobody thinks they’re better than somebody else. It’s great energy.”
Jones-Robinson was born on July 6th, 2009 at Holy Cross Medical Center in Silver Spring, Md. Her mother Angelica Jones, her father Willie Robinson IV, and her brother Willie Robinson V are also athletes in their own way.
Angelica played basketball and softball, and still plays flag football, while Willie IV played tackle football and basketball. Willie V currently plays tackle football and basketball for Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg.
While she may go to Clarksburg, Jones-Robinson lives in Germantown with her family. “For me to transition to a new school with people I didn’t know was very different,” she said.
Jones-Robinson first got into sports when she was just two years old, showing mainly an interest in basketball.
“I was playing basketball since I was two,” said Jones-Robinson. “For me to take on another sport, I felt like the challenge would have been difficult. But it wasn’t, and i got good at it. It was just up from there.”
The Clarksburg junior happens to be a two-sport athlete with flag football and basketball at the school. She has shown her remarkable athleticism in both sports.
“We have a great basketball program,” said Jones-Robinson. “We also have a great flag program. For us to transition over, it was a big step, but we got it done.”
Jones-Robinson’s sports idols include NFL quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, and WNBA star Angel Reese. However, most people have compared her style of play to that of Jackson.
“I feel like it’s a huge comparison,” Jones-Robinson stated about the Ravens quarterback. “Especially since he’s one of the people I admire the most, and take after his game a lot.”
Throughout the 2025 season, High School on SI has conducted weekly Maryland high school girls flag football Player of the Week polls. Jones-Robinson has been nominated multiple times for her incredible performances.
“It feels good,” said Jones-Robinson. “Because not a lot of people get it. For me to get it multiple times, it feels really good.”
Whether she passes for four or five touchdowns, or over 150 or 200 yards, Jones-Robinson feels proud to be representing the state of Maryland for high school girls flag football.
“It’s a big, big blessing,” said Jones-Robinson. “It’s a big opportunity. I can’t thank nobody else but God, and putting me in this predicament. I thank my parents for also putting me in this predicament as well.”
As for her athletics future, Jones-Robinson hasn’t thought much about it as she is only a junior in high school. For now, basketball seems to be in the cards for her eventual college decision.
“I haven’t thought about it yet,” said Jones-Robinson. “But I would like to go to a college where i could get a scholarship for basketball and flag as well.”
Coach Landefeld feels very confident about Jones-Robinson’s future, as she will most likely get to play one more season when she is a senior in 2026.
“She’s a gifted athlete,” said Landefeld. “She’s just got to make some decisions on where she wants to go with this. The sky’s the limit.”
With the way girls flag football has been growing in high schools across the U.S., it’s only a matter of time before more American colleges add it as an official sport.
“It would give more women opportunities to play more sports in college,” said Jones-Robinson. “It would boost their confidence, I think. A lot of people would come out and try out for the sport.”
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region.
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals’ first-round draft pick Chris Hacopian inked his first professional contract Wednesday, a moment made sweeter by the fact it was just a 30-minute drive from home to get to Nationals Park and put pen to paper.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region. He’s from Potomac, Maryland, and played his high school ball at Winston Churchill, where he was named the 2022 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2022 Washington Post All-Met selection.
According to MLB.com, Hacopian grew up a Nationals fan, admiring the likes of Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and others. He also played his first two collegiate seasons at the University of Maryland, where his father Derek played before him, before transferring to Texas A&M for his junior season.
With the Aggies, Hacopian hit .319 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI across 42 games en route to being named First-Team All-Southeastern Conference and a Third-Team All-American by Baseball America, the Nationals said in a news release.
After inking his contract Wednesday, Hacopian donned his new jersey and ball cap and stepped onto D.C.’s beloved diamond as a part of the Nationals organization for the first time.
“That was so cool, oh my gosh. I’ve been in the stands like, 100 times, but being on the field is so different,” he said.
Hacopian was ranked 14th among MLB Draft prospects by MLB.com. The 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound second baseman boasted one of the best bats in college baseball, according to MLB.com, with excellent control over the strike zone and feel for the barrel, along with solid pop.
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The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
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