By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
On X @tortreports
Either Jaime Land or Karen Dilmore have coached the Williamstown High girls basketball team for the past 27 seasons. Overall, they have a combined 401 wins in nearly 600 games with a winning percentage near .680.
Land has a 97-58 record in six seasons since taking over for predecessor Dilmore, who amassed a 304-133 record in 21 years at the helm before handing Land the keys to the program in 2019.
Coaching basketball has been all they’ve ever known, but when Williamstown officially announced that it would be one of the newest South Jersey schools to offer the ever-growing sport of girls flag football this spring, they both knew it was an opportunity they couldn’t turn down.
“I felt like this is an opportunity you can’t pass up. Whoever stays here might stay here for a long time and I would’ve kicked myself if I never actually tried,” Land said. “I love it. I didn’t think I would like anything more than basketball, but it’s different. Basketball has my heart. This is good, I (also) love it, and I love it more than I thought I would. I just wish it wasn’t so soon after the basketball season.”
“I actually saw (Kingsway coach) Susie (Massara) somewhere and she told me she was coaching flag football,” she said of how she first heard of the sport. “My husband is a health and physical education teacher also, and told me about how it’s up-and-coming.”
It may actually be a good thing that the start of the spring season comes so quickly after the conclusion of the winter season, because the winning ways from the basketball season have already followed to flag football.
Through nine games this season, the Braves have a 7-2 record with their only losses coming twice to Kingsway, the No. 3 ranked team in the state by nj.com.
Land said she has been able to recruit some of her basketball athletes to try out flag football, and it’s resulted in much success. Gabriella Madden, a varsity basketball player, has made a huge impact on both sides of the gridiron. She has thrown for 1,090 yards as the team’s quarterback and has 35 sacks defensively, according to Land.
“I just like trying to make kids be the best athletes that they can be,” Land said. “I like coaching. This is something different. I’ve never really had flag football experience besides watching my son play. I just like pushing myself, trying to do something different.
“I know we have good athletes in Williamstown and I just want to be a part of great athletes.”
The venture into coaching the new sport has been a fun, and much easier process alongside Dilmore, who is a Physical Education and Health teacher alongside Land at the high school. Dilmore said she didn’t think she would want to coach high school sports again, but this opportunity changed that mindset.
“I love Jaime, she’s just a great person, we’re really good friends and we work well together,” Dilmore said. “When I heard there was an opening and she put in for it I said, ‘I’ll be your assistant coach, I would love to get back out there.’
“I never thought I would be back coaching. I thought I was very comfortable and good with not coming back into the coaching scene. This was an opportunity and it’s been a blessing. It’s been amazing just working with Jamie every day. I’m very, very happy.”
Added Land, “she’s influential in starting a program. Me and her do everything together. We share the same office. I love her by my side, she’s a mentor.”
Dilmore admits that a lot has changed in the high school sports scene since she hung up the whistle six years ago, but she undoubtedly is enjoying her time back on the sidelines — only this time on a field.
“The kids are a little different, I’m going to be honest. A little different from six years ago, but they’re great kids,” she said. “They’re coachable and they want to get better, and it’s just been fun.
“I think this is awesome. I wish we had this opportunity when I was a kid. I would’ve definitely played flag football. I think it’s just amazing that these girls are having this opportunity. I think it’s amazing that the NFL is giving these girls the opportunity, because I don’t think a lot of high schools would’ve added this as a sport if it wasn’t for the incentive from the NFL with (providing) the uniforms and helping to pay for the equipment. This is going to continue to grow and continue to build, and it’s going to be exciting.”
