By: Isabella Langner 

Center Editor

Coming from a rigorous off-season, LGHS Girls’ Varsity Flag Football is looking forward to its second season. The team proved to be almost unbeatable last year, with a record of 24-2 overall. This year, coaches and players are determined to keep the program heading in the same direction: to be one of the best in the Bay Area.

Pre-season began in February and consisted of lifting in the weight room and conditioning on the track from Monday through Friday. After building up strength and endurance, they added field practices to focus on specific flag football techniques and prepare the team for the upcoming fall season.

Team chemistry is a major motivator in the team’s performance. Senior Heather Hansen described, “We’re all one big, happy family,” and noted pasta feeds as a fun activity bringing the team closer together. Freshman Makena Wedemeyer shared, “I like the coaches a lot. They’re all really nice. They are really supportive, and if you don’t know something, they are good at explaining it to you.” Before games, the teammates usually “hype each other up” around their giant speaker, said Wedemeyer. She also shared her appreciation for her teammates: “It’s really fun; I made a lot of new friends.” 

LGHS flag football has been putting in the work during their practices five days a week, with training recently focusing on offensive plays after warm-ups. Hansen, a cornerback for LGHS, regarding her favorite part of the position, said, “It’s just so satisfying. I get the flag, everyone cheers, I love it.” Wedemeyer shared that she wants to take advantage of practices to “get better at playing more offense, because I’m playing more defense right now, but I want to get better with my [offensive] skills.”

Overall, the team’s record is 4-3. Their first match was against Branham on Aug. 29, and they started off strong with a 13-0 win. They followed up with a 25-0 win over St. Francis and a 32-0 victory against Hill. Sacred Heart Prep broke their streak when LGHS lost to their team 7-26. To bounce back, the team plans to focus on offensive drills that coaches recently implemented. 

In a tournament earlier this season, LGHS won the title and new uniforms as a reward. Their home jerseys are completely new, representing flag football’s place as an official sport at the school. Their away jerseys are still LGHS football’s old ones. In their tournament on Sept. 13, girls’ flag football went 1-3, playing impressive teams like Granada and Armador Valley.

Almost all of the players looked most forward to their match against Menlo School, a team that went undefeated last year; unfortunately,  the match ended in a 14-31 loss for Los Gatos. However, with the implementation of new plays and their determination in practice, girls’ flag football will be sure to use this loss as motivation for future matches. Make sure to attend their next home game on Oct. 1 against Mountain View!