Flag Football Sweeps the Nation

Written By: Daniel Holscher, Staff Writer

ELEVATED BEGINNINGS: Poly’s Girl Flag Football team embraces their undefeated standings in League as they face North in our Rivalry game, dominating their first season 

Coach Bailey and Coach Lindsay strategizing with their girls during a swift game break.

Quick Risings: 

As our newly founded Girls Flag Football team at Poly makes its way through the season, their strategic use of positioning and confident mentality has become a staple among their reign of wins. Beginning within the confines of Poly, facing against San Gorgonio High School, our girls showed off with a victorious standing of 27-26 in the first game and 12-6 in overtime within the second game.  Throughout the season, our girls have been sweeping their league meets right under their opponent’s feet. Starting at Moreno Valley High School and advancing through John W. North, (see table at end of the article for League winnings) the quick rise to fame among these girls is not something that is easily achievable, especially with their addition as a new team here at Poly. What qualities morph our newly founded Girls Flag Football team into fierce competitors? 

Julia Bailey (12) rushing in to receive a pass from her teammate.

Work Hard, Play Hard:

Our girls won the recent League rivalry game, Poly vs JW North with a first-game score of 28-6, and a second-game score of 20-13. Because of the undefeated standings of our team, their past few games were able to be broadcasted and covered by the Official Fox Sports News. With the addition of a giant corporation covering the game, neighborhoods all around Riverside were able to view the game. The recordings of our teams strategies and winnings at Fox has allowed our team to gain traction all over the county. The pressure was on to gain victory on the lenses of the camera. The key behind this domination within the scoreboards has to do with the mindsets and characteristics of the athletes. Starting defender, Zuri Washington’s (12) favorite part about being on the team is “the energy, people being pumped up, just making new friends and having a fun time.” As the season commenced, most girls were interested in the concept of something new and collaborative. While the winnings may rely on physical capabilities such as athleticism, coordination, drill practices, and catching stances, this would not be possible without the positive mindset going into practices every week. “Our main goal is to learn our plays, and learn how to work together to be great,” Kayden Clark vocalizes for the team (11). With Football being such a popular sport within the male genre, these girls take pride in their winnings as they reign over the accomplishments of an all-girls team. The feeling of earning a solidified representation within the Girls Flag Football Community supplies a huge driving force to the grit and confidence out on the playing field. “It’s definitely nice to have it [representation], a few girls on our team really want to play on the tackle team, it feels good to play a sport that a lot of people would not expect girls to play. It’s nice to show that capability,” Jocelyn Romero says (12). 

Being on the Flag Football team allows these girls to express themselves in their form of athleticism, and make a mark on Poly history through their unforgiving win streaks. Rather it be the feeling of success in perfecting a passing stance, or taking pride in a newly learned route, triumph pours in from all standpoints. As the League meets run by, the anticipation for success grows higher and higher every time, creating a certain feeling of drive that fuels the plays of the team. Especially with the introduction of an official news channel watching over.  “It would be pretty cool to leave that legacy because we are the first team to play at Poly ever,” Lily Finnel expressed (12). 

Left to Right: Zuri Washington (12), Jocelyn Romero (12), Leah Baker (12), Elizabeth Chinchilla (11), Eryn Guzman (10), Kaitlyn Otwell (10), Kylee Christmas (10)

Managing the legacy:

As Head Coach Rusty Bailey forms bonds and guides his athletes throughout the first season, he has some specific thoughts in mind needed to keep their undefeated title. “I love the challenge of molding a team to its fullest potential, being the coach of the first team in Poly history allows me to make our legacy known”, Bailey emphasized. While the hype around the new team supplies determination, Bailey also has a few things in mind regarding the training of his girls. “Some of it is technical skills, we need to learn routes and plays to organize ourselves on the team. We practice every single day besides our days after games to rest up our team.” Coach Bailey’s management of his team is perfectly displayed when the girls get out on the field. Staying undefeated in league games proves to be challenging, but with Bailey’s mindset, anything is possible. “We set a goal to win league championships this year, once we set a goal we work endlessly to achieve that through hard work every single day,” Bailey stressed. The training and practices only help to solidify their skills out on the field. Practicing their skills in repetition allows them to build up their confidence in themselves out on the field, strengthening their mindsets. Starting from scratch was not an easy task for the girls or Bailey to face, but with their viscous yearning for success, our girls remain victorious in League. 

Addison Zyber and Ryann Sigloch listening in on Coach Bailey’s play for the win.

The Onslaught of History:

As the team played their last games on October 28th, facing against Canyon Springs, Moreno Valley, and North one last time, they cinched their place in history, maintaining an undefeated season. Joining a new team in its humble beginnings is a mental challenge that was easily overcome by these girls’ energetic attitudes and hunger for a name at Poly. It is awe inspiring to have our school represented by our astounding teams, whether it be out in the water, on a court, on a track, or on a field. One thing is for certain, no matter where our team is to go from here, our Girls Flag Football team has left an undying legacy on Poly High School for us to reap and hold. Thank you girls for showing everyone in Riverside what it means to be a bear, we can’t wait to see what you do next!

 A Table Of Legacy: