For Oak Park and River Forest High School girls flag football players, the biggest challenge in the first year as an IHSA-sanctioned sport has been the schedule.
“I think all of the girls definitely understand that playing harder teams makes us better,” junior cornerback/linebacker Julia Spencer said. “When we play those teams that aren’t as difficult, we’re prepared and we play better.”
The Huskies’ hard work resulted in their finest hour Saturday. They earned a 15-14 victory over Willowbrook in their first of three games at the Willowbrook Quad.
When the Huskies (4-8) began as a club program two years ago under coach James Geovanes, they lost 48-0 to the Warriors, who went on to win the state tournament.
“This might be the most important win in our program history,” Geovanes said. “For the last two years, that’s been our standard, to be as good as they are.”
Junior quarterback Julia Henderson has passed for 845 yards and 18 touchdowns and junior Leia Hammerschmidt has a team-best 297 receiving yards. Other offensive starters are seniors Harper Stotts and Khalaya Cooper-Coleman and juniors Tavia Allen, Niani Patton and center Oliwia Slezak.
Defensive leaders include juniors Elianna Brucato (87 flag pulls) and Gwen Watters (3 interceptions). Other defensive starters are Spencer, senior Zaria Barker and juniors Aniyah Blackwell, Jonell Clark and Anaiah Hall.
“We have a lot of potential and a lot of juniors, which is good for next year,” Henderson said. “We’ve been really progressing since the beginning of the year.”
The Huskies were coming off an 18-0 win over Hinsdale Central on Friday. They lost to Addison Trail 36-0 and Evanston 20-0 on Saturday. In the third round, Willowbrook beat Addison Trail 18-6 to avenge an earlier loss.
Against Willowbrook, the Huskies opened a 15-6 lead before the Warriors got a red-zone interception and scored with a two-point conversion. The Huskies halted the Warriors’ final drive and ran out the clock.
“Coach likes to say we’re the underdogs and I think we just showed that,” Henderson said.
“A huge win. We are a very talented football team and getting better,” Geovanes said.
The Huskies have lost to Addison Trail twice. On Sept. 18, they lost to Willowbrook 22-6 and 2023 state champion Lane Tech 28-14.
Oak Park and River Forest’s Londyn Gordon (2) treis to avoid being tackled by Addison Trail’s Diana Ortiz Rodriguez (5) during the Willowbrook Quad Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Villa Park. | Steve Johnston 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Khalaya Casper-Coleman (7) reaches out and tries to pull in a catch against Addison Trail during the Willowbrook Quad Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Villa Park. | Steve Johnston 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Julia Henderson (9) attempts a pass against Addison Trail during the Willowbrook Quad Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Villa Park. | Steve Johnston 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Cora Brown (17) tries to split the Addison Trail defenders during the Willowbrook Quad Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Villa Park. . | Steve Johnston 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Paris Spencer (1) puts pressure on Addison Trail’s quarterback Emma Caniglia (0) during the Willowbrook Quad Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Villa Park. | Steve Johnston
“I’ve stacked our schedule on purpose,” Geovanes said. “We don’t want to play cupcakes, and there are a lot of cupcakes out there [as a new IHSA sport]. We want to play the best to get better for when the playoffs come around.”
Senior Faith Anderson is the lone three-year program member. This season’s roster has been boosted by multi-sport athletes, primarily from softball, track and field, and basketball.
A JV softball player last spring, Henderson played quarterback for the first time in 2023 after throwing the football around with her father.
“I think my arm’s gotten a lot stronger,” Henderson said. “I know how to read the defense more. And how to lead somebody when I throw so when they catch it, they’re not shifting their weight.”
Spencer has been excited with the defense’s improved flag pulling and interceptions. A sprinter and thrower in track, she also joined as a sophomore.
“I saw the girls playing after school one day [as a freshman] and I was like, ‘Wow, that seems like fun,’” Spencer said. “It’s just so fun. Everyone on the team is so loving, great coaches.”
The Huskies hope to return to Willowbrook for the first IHSA state finals Oct. 18-19. Their Lane Sectional includes the Champions (14-3), Fenwick and Jones, which beat Lane 12-6, Sept. 14.
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t win a regional, if not a sectional championship,” Geovanes said. “We can make a pretty serious run, based on our schedule.”