Flag football has become a fast-growing sport as more and more high schools and colleges across the country add programs.
“All you need are a mouthpiece and helmet, and gloves if you want to wear them,” said Oak Park and River Forest High School coach James Geovanes. The easy accessibility makes (flag) a super inclusive sport.
OPRF and Fenwick have begun their second IHSA-sanctioned seasons, while Trinity is in its’ debut year.
Here is a look at how the Huskies, Friars and Blazers look so far:
OPRF
The Huskies are 3-2 as of this week, with victories over Leyden, Lindblom, and Rich Township. The two losses, coming to Lane Tech (20-12) and St. Laurence (22-12), were highly competitive ones to teams whom Geovanes says are two of the top contenders for the state title this year.
“We hung with both of them,” he said. “A couple of plays here and there, we’re 5-0. That’s the growth mindset we have to have going forward; we’re going to keep getting better, and the future’s very bright.”
OPRF is led by senior quarterback Julia Henderson. Henderson, who played second base for the Huskies’ softball team which finished third in the Class 4A state tournament, has completed 70-of-82 passes for 973 yards and 17 touchdowns with just two interceptions.
“She’s going to be a 5,000-yard passer at this pace,” Geovanes said. “She’s playing out of her mind and the crew of girls we have around her are helping everything. It’s so fun to watch.”
OPRF’s season goals are to stay healthy, compete for the West Suburban Conference championship, and make a deep run in the state tournament.
“Last year, we were 30 seconds away from the eventual state champ (Lane) in the regional final,” Geovanes said. “We think this year with the talent, personnel, and coaching we have, we can certainly win the regional and even the sectional. Once the playoffs start, anything can happen, and our end goal is to be playing Oct. 18 for a state championship.”
FENWICK
The Friars are off to a 4-1 start, with the only loss coming last week to DePaul Prep. However, Fenwick coach Bryan Boehm said there was a caveat to the loss.
“We were missing six starters, including four on offense,” he said. “We had to call some kids up, and it was one of those games. It is what it is, but I wish we had it back.”
Outside of the DePaul game, Boehm likes how things are going.
“While it’s still early, our defense has shown great strength and aggression, flying to the ball and creating a lot of energy,” he said. “On the offensive side, we’re confident in our ability to keep improving and consistently put points on the board.”
Fenwick is an experienced team with 13 seniors on the roster, something Boehm likes. He’s also beefed up the coaching staff and feels doing so has been helpful to the program.
“Dan O’Keefe, who’s a long-time Catholic League man, is our defensive coordinator this season,” Boehm said. “What he has done teaching the girls defensive concepts has been tremendous, and it shows. Having (girls basketball coach) Lenae (Fergerson) back is great. She understands girls sports and approaches things from a different angle.”
Fenwick’s goal for the season is to win the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference championship.
“You always want to do well in your conference and make a statement there,” Boehm said.
That said, he’s looking forward to the Friars’ upcoming game at OPRF, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m.
“I’m not from Oak Park,” Boehm said, “but I appreciate the rivalry. (Geovanes) is doing a great job. We’ve got the game circled and we’ll be ready to go.”
TRINITY
The Blazers have dropped their first three games this season: Fenwick, Rosary, and St. Laurence. But that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of coach Jim Moy.
“Despite us being a first-year team, I believe we will be good,” said Moy, who is also Trinity’s lacrosse coach. “We have a lot of players with speed and innate athletic ability.”
Moy hopes that if the Blazers have a solid debut season, that will encourage more girls to come out next year. Trinity has 16 players, primarily freshmen and sophomores, on the roster.
“We hope to make the atmosphere of the flag football program fun and competitive,” he said, “so that next season we have double the number of girls trying out.”