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The fall high school sport season is always an exciting time as the East Bay Athletic League schools jump back into competition after a summer off from “official” events.
The highlight of the season is football where it’s not just school against school, but in most cases, community vs. community.
This fall is getting even more exciting as Girls’ Flag Football jumps into the fray. It’s something I think will be embraced and turn into a popular sport to watch.
“This is such a great thing,” said Lisa Luengo, the Monte Vista assistant coach. “Let’s get people fired up about this. There is excitement and I think it’s going to take off.”
Luengo was one of the top soccer players in the EBAL when she played for Monte Vista as Lisa Cote, graduating in 1990. She’s been coaching soccer in the Danville community, as well as the junior varsity girls’ soccer team at Monte Vista.
When starting a new high school sport, it is imperative to have athletic ability, then be able to coach them up.
For head coach Steve Hewitt, Luengo fits that bill perfectly.
“It’s one of the great benefits of having Lisa on the staff,” said Hewitt. “She knows a lot about the girls and what they bring, and she has coached a lot of the girls in soccer.”
Of course, it’s a plus to have a coach that has experience coaching the sport, and that is where Hewitt fits nicely.
Hewitt, who is a teacher at Sycamore Elementary, has coached flag football for the last five years, both with the Next Level program and with another league as well.
“I got involved through a summer program,” said Hewitt. “The parents supported me to the school, and I got the job.”
Over at Foothill, Derek Perez will head up the inaugural team for the Falcons. Perez is arguably the MVP of the Foothill athletic program, both coaching and raising funds for the teams.
He took the job because, well, he had to.
“Like all things these days, no one wanted to do it,” said Perez. “They had 50 girls sign up and no coach. The school called and I said yes. My kids are both out of high school, so I have some more time.”
Perez saw the numbers and couldn’t resist. It’s a plus for the program as Perez is crucial to secure the funding for the fledging sport.
“The hard part hasn’t been finding girls to play, but getting the
funding for everything we need,” explained Perez.
Like Hewitt finding Luengo, building a staff was crucial for Perez. Lissa Olson – the mother of former Foothill athletic stars Grayce and Kenny Olson, and the wife of Seattle Seahawks QB coach Greg Olson, was a natural.
Olson, a former NCAA D-I track athlete and coach, has been working with the Foothill track and field team.
He also got former Dublin High football and basketball star Adam Moore to be a coach. Moore just graduated in 2022, so he relates to the players.
“All of our coaches are excited,” said Perez. “Lissa has been a coach and does a great job. Adam really takes to teaching them, he makes it simple to them.”
The initial EBAL season will feature eight EBAL teams with Carondelet and Dougherty Valley the two schools not fielding teams.
This is a legit sport, not a novelty as some have thought.
“Initially I got a few of those feelings from people,” Hewitt said of it being at novelty. “This is an official fall sport. We are now looking into how to grow it.”
“The players will have to understand that this is an official varsity sport,” added Luengo. “You are either in or out. It’s up to us as coaches to make sure the players understand that.”
There will be a regular season, followed by a one-day, EBAL season where a league champion will be crowned.
The following are some of the nuances/rules of the EBAL Girls’ Flag Football league.
* The game is 7-vs.-7 with two 20 minute halves, with a running clock until the last two minutes of each half.
* The field has a width from a minimum of 30 yards to a 40 yard maximum. The length is a minimum of 50 yards to a maximum of 80 yards. No-run zones are located five yards from each end zone and five yards each line to gain.
* There is no blocking or moving screens allowed at any time, with no excessive contact allowed.
* The QB may intentionally ground the ball by throwing the ball into the ground to avoid a sack.
* All players are eligible.
* The QB can run the ball once per series of downs.
* If the defense blitzes or rushes multiple players at the QB, they can run without it counting as their one run per series of downs.
* The No-Run Zones are located 5 yards from each end zone. QB’s are not allowed to run unless the defense blitzes.
* A player may not leave her feet to avoid a flag being pulled.
* Fumbles are dead when they hit the ground.
* Any defensive player can rush from any position on the field if they are seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. Teams may rush only two players at a time.
* Receivers are allowed a free release from the line of scrimmage.
* There are no kick-offs and teams will take possession of the ball from their 20-yard line.
* There are no punts. The offensive team must declare if they are going for it on fourth down or punting. If the team declares a punt, the other team will take possession on their 20-yard line, or the 10 on a 50-yard field.
The full set of rules is available at www.cifstate.org under the Flag Football Section.
The scheduling is unique as well. The games will be played on Tuesdays with three games, with three teams playing at one site, and playing twice.
Games are set for 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8 p.m. There will be one, one game site each week with a 5 p.m. start.
For instance, opening night on September 5, Livermore will be a host sight, with the schedule being Livermore vs. Foothill, Foothill vs. Dublin, and Livermore vs. Dublin.
Monte Vista will host the following: Monte Vista vs. California, California vs. Granada, Monte Vista vs. Granada.
Finally, Amador will be hosting San Ramon Valley. The sites will move each week.
The one-day EBAL playoffs will be Saturday, October 28 at a site to be determined.
This promises to be an exciting season and one that I am looking forward to going to some games. I see the student bodies readily embracing the sport and attendance growing as the season progresses.
Let the games begin!
