Woodland High School hosts first-ever girls flag football game against Sacramento Adventist – Daily Democrat

Woodland High School senior captain Brooklyn Johnson (orange) weaves her way through Sacramento Adventist defenders after breaking free on a run during their flag football clash at Woodland Community Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 5. (Carlos Guerrero/Daily Democrat)

Although there were no helmets, pads or nearly as many bone-crunching hits as there are in the boys’ games, if any kind of high school football game is being played in Woodland, the community has always shown they will be into it.

That was certainly the case Tuesday evening when the Woodland High School girls flag football team (0-1) made school history by holding their first-ever game against Sacramento Adventist.

In front of around 70 attendees in the stands and at field level, the crowd consisted of family, friends, campus staff, curious members of the varsity football team fresh out of practice, and any other football-hungry resident who knew about the game at Woodland Community Stadium.

While the eventual 26-0 scoreline in the Golden Empire League opener favored the visiting and more experienced Sacramento Adventist (1-0), the fact that there was a game to be played was enough for head coach Dave England and his two dozen players.

“I think it’s great that this is a sport,” England said. “It’s about time they did something for the girls who want to play. It’s a whole league. I think we did okay out here. They have played more games than we have and were better prepared. It was fun and a learning experience for everyone, including me.”

Sacramento got off to a fast start, and after a big-time 25-yard touchdown run, the score was 7-0. On their next drive, Sacramento marched right down the field again and punched it in from close range with a six-yard run to make it 14-0 going into halftime.

After the five-minute break, Woodland had a great chance to score after defender Izzy Loesch anticipated a Sacramento Adventist throw and intercepted the ball, returning it to the two-yard line, just shy of the school’s first-ever touchdown.

On the next play, with anticipation on the sidelines and stands seemingly boiling over, a cruel twist of fate ensued after junior quarterback Paige Menelley, unfortunately, threw the ball short and into the arms of a waiting Adventist defender who returned it for a touchdown all the way to the other end of the field, making it 20-0.

Adventist made it 26-0 with just under two minutes left, and after a few failed runs and throws by the Wolves, the game ended, but history was still made.

“It was pretty fun,” quarterback Paige Menelley said. “It was my first time playing flag football. “It’s really cool the schools now offer this sport. I’m surprised with how many girls are interested in it, but it’s cool. I like the position, but I need to work on it. I hope to get much better this season with my throwing and remembering to look who is open.”

“I think we can make the playoffs eventually, but it will take longer than expected,” England said.

Earlier this year, in February, the California Interscholastic Federation voted to add girls flag football as a sanctioned sport. The CIF, the state’s athletic governing body, approved the proposal by a vote of 146-0.

“Once we got all of our ducks in a row with the district and then did our cost analysis to figure out the level we’d be involved in it, we got approved over the summer,” said Woodland High School athletic director Danny Eoff. “After that, it was all about getting the word out and getting a coach on board.”

Rather than join the tackle football team like former WHS student Rebecca Gilham did at the junior varsity level in 2019, girls have the chance to play in a program they can now call their own. While there are no pads, the game is essentially the same, but instead of a tackle, pulling a flag attached to each player’s waist marks them down.

The game is played on a shorter and narrower field than the boys and is seven against seven. There are two 20-minute running clock halves, with five minutes of halftime. Schools will be broken up into small schools participating in Division II and large schools making up Division I for the postseason.

“A couple of new girls are being added every couple of days,” Eoff said. “I think they’ll take off here in a couple of weeks after they have had a good substantial time to work and play together and then learn the game and plays.”

Before the sanctioned league was voted on, Woodland and Pioneer High School offered a short “PowderPuff” flag football season around the time of homecoming.

“I think everyone saw how excited and involved the girls got when they had the powderpuff flag football games for that short period during homecoming, and so now to give them a full game schedule and allow them to play for championship games and travel and play against other teams shows this has gone to a new level,” Eoff said. “I think it’s only a matter of time before all of our student body sees how fun this can be. I think the excitement is here based on the turnout we got from the crowd today, and the girls seemed to have a great time despite the result.”

Members of the team include a few multi-sport athletes such as soccer players Brooklyn Johnson, Xitlali Guillen and Vanessa Santana, softball players Izzy Loesch and Emily Rathjen, track and field competitor Tara Kitchens, girls basketball player Brooke Russo and cheerleader Alice Corbari.

Others on the roster include Lucy Lopez, Brooke Rogelstad, Jenell Gomez, Paige Menelley, Destiny Garcia, Reyana Menelley, Delilah Cueva, Melannie Bojorquez, Zoe Byrd, Yasmin Michel-Villa, Hajub Shabbir, Jemm Hernandez, Alice Corbari, Yoselin Mendoza, Arinandi Maciel, Margherita Manzo and Sofia Sanchez.

Next for Woodland will be a Wednesday road clash against Casa Roble. On Monday they will travel to Rio Linda. Both games will begin at 6 p.m.