High school girls flag football provides a change in the game from the traditional football game you may expect to see out on the field. Instead of pads, the players wear a belt with velcroed-on flags around their waist for this non-contact sport. Rather than tackling each other, players have to swiftly maneuver through defenses to protect their flags and prevent a down. Other differences between flag football and football are that they play on a smaller field with fewer players. Aside from that, flag football shares similar rules with its counterpart.  As of this year, 17 states have high schools participating in this sport, allowing girls around the nation to play in a sport that they may have been denied from in past years. Over 500,000 girls ranging from ages 6-17 played in 2023, which is a 63% increase since 2019.

Our very own Laker flag football team cannot be tackled down. This season they came out the gates incredibly strong with back-to-back wins on March 16 against Molalla and Estacada. They continued this winning streak against La Salle, winning 20-6,followed by a huge win against McNary 58-15. While last year it was heavily upperclassmen, this year the team consists of younger players. Senior Olivia McQuaid said, “It’s been really fun seeing more freshmen and sophomores join! The team has really proven that they are about community on and off the field just as much as they are about being tough competitors. McQuaid, although no longer able to compete for the rest of the season due to injury, still hopes to see her team “make playoffs and go win it all.” With an overall record of 5-2, they are looking pretty good for the rest of the season. The next game they play will be a battle of the lake at Lakeridge on April 30, so show up and show your support for the extraordinary team!