The Arnold High School girls flag football team has made history in its inaugural season, capturing both the county and district championships. Now, the No. 3 Lady Marlins are set to host their first-ever state playoff game, facing off against No. 6 Yulee on Tuesday, April 28th.

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In a memorable moment following Arnold’s district championship victory, assistant coach Austin Esch honored a bet he made with the team. Esch, who hadn’t shaved his beard since his freshman year of college, nearly nine years ago, promised to shave it off if the Lady Marlins secured the district title. True to his word, he entrusted the task to local barber Blake Hancock of Mr. Eddie's Barber Cuts and Styles.

Adebanji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Arnold girls flag football qualify for playoffs, coach honors beard bet