By: Jordan Park

Sports Editor

After a memorable few months, the inaugural season of LGHS Girls’ Flag Football is coming to a rapid close, with numerous highlights to reflect on. 

Over the course of the season, the tough losses and triumphant wins have certainly brought the girls together. The team’s development and camaraderie have strengthened their bond both on and off the field, cementing the girls’ relationships and capacity to work together during games. Senior Cami Lui expressed that although many of her teammates already knew each other from school or other sports, it was “the long 12-hour tournaments [that] have really brought us together in commiserating over the suffering we’ve been through, but yeah, we just had fun together.” Lui mentioned that one of her favorite moments from the season was the team’s first bus ride to and from an away game against Aptos High School. “Everybody was really tired on the way there, but then on the way back, both JV and varsity had won,” Lui described. “We have a speaker that plays during our practices, so we turned it up all the way, and we were just screaming to music. It was really fun, and then our coach bought burritos for the ride back because it was 9:00 PM when we were coming home.”

This season, both the JV and varsity teams have faced challenging opponents that led to nail-biting games, frustration among teammates, exhilarating victories, and heartbreaking losses. Sophomore Jenna Webb expressed her satisfaction with the team’s overall performance throughout the season. She also commented on some of the team’s toughest challengers: “I would say Hollister and St. Francis and definitely Salinas, for sure, because they caught us off guard.” Multiple encounters with these teams were a source of excitement for the players, fueling their outstanding performance and determination on the field. Webb also pointed out some of her personal highlights from the season, which included the close games that came down to last-second plays that ultimately ended in a victory for the Cats. 

Approaching their last few games, the team is ready for some extra free time but bummed that the season is coming to a close. Lui stated that she is looking forward to the first-ever girls’ flag football Senior Night and “to see what Coach Sara Quilici Giles has planned because she said she has a surprise for the seniors.” Make sure to come out and support the seniors at Senior Night, which will be held on Oct. 16 at Helm Field.

LGHS’s first-ever girls’ flag football season has flown by, and with only a few more games to go, players are filled with anticipation and enthusiasm. Packed with victorious matches and valuable learning experiences, this season is surely one for the history books. Make sure to wish the teams good luck in their final games!