Dressed in a football jersey that went down to her knees, a helmet falling over her eyes and an extra flag attached to her belt, junior Maya Woodruff struggled to readjust her uniform while running with the ball during the new girls intramural flag football team’s first game against Evanston Township on Sept. 28.
“Our first game, we were at a big disadvantage because the other team had two flags out and we had three,” said Woodruff. “We didn’t have enough helmets for everybody, so for each play, we had to take off our helmet, take off our flags and pass it to the next person who was coming in to sub for us.”
Junior Stefani Pecaro scored the first touchdown of the season on a pick-6 during that game.
“I was right next to her when it happened so it was just really exciting to get our first touchdown at our first game,” Woodruff said.
According to Pecaro, she started the team after noticing a number of girls who liked to play football but did not have the opportunity to.
Over 60 girls showed up to the informational meeting about the team, Pecaro said.
Senior Mackenzie Schmidt scored on a pick-6 during a game against Glenbrook South on Oct. 7.
“Everyone knew what route they were going and everything just came together,” Pecaro said.
The program is made up of all grades and divided into an upperclassmen team and an underclassmen team who practice together.
“Sometimes freshmen are more timid to be with the older kids, and that hasn’t really been the case here,” head coach Matthew Haggis said.
Pecaro has done a good job of bringing the girls together through her willingness to build the team, Haggis said.
“On the field, she’s always talking to the girls, telling them, ‘Hey, here’s what we need, this is what we’re trying to do,’” said Haggis. “She definitely leads by example, and she’s also vocal with her leadership.”
Flag football remains an intramural sport in Illinois this year but may become an official IHSA sport if more girls continue to show interest, Haggis said.
“The plan is just to be persistent about it,” said Haggis. “There are kids who want to play, and we need to provide the opportunity for them to do that.”
The team ended the season with a record of 0-6.
In addition to receiving new equipment, the team has learned a lot this season and continues to improve its performance, Woodruff said.
“This season we’ve learned a lot about the regulations and what we need,” said Woodruff. “So I’m really excited for next year to have new girls coming in, and I think it’s such a fun sport to play.”