OWEGO - OFA flag football was in the gym bright and early Friday morning, putting the finishing touches on preparation for this weekend's state final four.

Owego flag spent Friday morning's session fine tuning their gameplay with an extensive walk-through. The energy was high and the River Hawks appear ready to make a run at the state title this weekend. 

OFA will be at Homer High School on Saturday to compete in the Class C Semifinal round of NYSPHSAA Flag Football Championships. Owego faces Beekmantown out of Section VII at 9:30 a.m., with the winner to meet either Pioneer or Plainedge on Sunday at Cortland High School.

Owego's season ended in the semis last season, but this year's team is locked in to try and make it one step further this time around.

"This week we have watched a lot of film. It has been busy with senior activities, but we are making sure to get the rest we need and take care of ourselves to prep for this weekend," said senior, Olivia Dodge.

"The biggest keys tomorrow will be to remain focused on pulling flags and catching balls, while making sure to stay confident in our abilities," added Dodge.

Multiple members of the flag football team will also compete later on that day in the girls' lacrosse regional final, on top of having their school's prom the night before. Senior, Bella Silvestri spoke on the busy schedule, specifically from a dual athlete's perspective.

"We make it work with unique practice times. You just try to fit everything in and then manage having fun, while also getting enough rest to be prepared for the big day ahead," said Silvestri.

"For the returners who made it this far last year, it was very hard to see our season end the way it did. Going into this weekend, we know what to expect and we're dialed in to go and get that state plaque," commented Silvestri.

Quarterback Kylie Grippen believes a big driving force for the team ahead of Championship weekend is the chemistry this OFA group has.

"With our team, when you look around, everyone wants to be here. We are truly a family and that's what has got us so far. That chemistry will get us through this weekend," said Grippen.

Finally, coach Rusty Virkler talked about the moment and task at hand heading into tomorrow's semifinal.

"I get nervous for every game, so while I am excited and nervous, you don't want to make it any bigger than it already is. This is another flag football game, so we just need to stay in a rhythm, do our thing and hopefully it works out for us," said coach Virkler.

"We are here for a reason, so we're going to trust what got us here and hopefully take care of business.

Owego advanced to tomorrow's final four with a win over Hendrick Hudson, 40-14. Their opponent Beekmantown defeated Oneida, 56-21 in their Regional Final.