TAMPA, Fla. — When you’ve won more flag football state championships than any other school, you tend produce a lot of highlights.

But of all the amazing plays filling up the Robinson Knights highlight reel, there was one that might be the biggest play of the season. When senior Manasvi Vijayaraghavan took a knee to end the Class 1A state title game.

What You Need To Know

  •  The Robinson High flag football team won it's eighth-straight state championship, ninth overall.

  •  Senior captain Manasvi Vijayaraghavan ended the game when she took a knee.

  •  It was the only play Manasvi was on the field for this season. Two weeks before the start of the regular season, she tore her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament)

That Manasvi was even on the field at all was amazing. Two weeks before the start of the season, she tore her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in her knee and did not play in a game. Until the last game, the last play, when she took a symbolic knee.

“It’s so many emotions,” she said. “I’m so grateful for this team.”

Eight in a row for the Knights, ninth overall. And each one special. This one, though, felt a little extra special because of Manasvi.

In the final practice before the state championships, Manasvi was in her usual spot. Right in the middle of the action, in the middle of the drills, watching like a coach. Offering up words of encouragement like a teammate.

Manasvi didn’t have to be there. She could have been at home. She could be wallowing in self pity. But that’s not in her nature. Flag football has given Manasvi so much, no way was she going to quit on her Robinson family.

“You don’t have to be on the field to make an impact,” Manasvi said. “You can make stuff on the sideline. I feel like if I were not coming to practices, I would be giving up on my team.”

When you’re a Robinson Knight, you do your part. Everybody contributes something. This was how Manasvi helped this season. She may have been on the field for only one play, but make no mistake, Robinson does not win it’s 9th state championship without their senior captain.

“We thought of different ways to kind of honor her,” Robinson head coach Josh Sanders said. “But she doesn’t need to be honored. She’s just a part of the team.”

As the Knights closed in on another state championship, Manasvi cheered on her teammates from the sideline. And then she was on the field. And then the Knights were receiving their gold medals. All that hard work paying off with another title.

“All the expectations I set at the beginning of the season, they were reached,” she said. “We won the state championship. We went undefeated. And I just think we did a great job and I could not be prouder of this team.”