Girls flag football officially became a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) statewide sanctioned sport for the 2023-2024 school year. This has been the first year South Hills athletes competed in flag football and it has been a historic one. The team placed second in league and made it to the playoffs. Players reflected on their achievements throughout the season.
Captain and starting receiver, Juliana Perez (12), shared why she decided to join flag football.
“I always had a passion and love for football. It always excited me when I heard there was flag football for girls I knew I had to join,” Perez said.
Uprising star and starting quarterback, Haley Ramos (10), shared what she learned from being a first year captain in flag football.
“Being a captain has mainly taught me patience with my teammates and how to be more vocal when addressing everyone,” Ramos said.
Caitlyn Penate (10), the starting running back for the Huskies, has scored over 74 points this season. She reflected on how initially it was intimidating to face tough competition, but how she overcame those challenges.
“I overcame the nerves at the beginning of the season by focusing on my training and trusting my preparation. I also made sure to support and communicate with my teammates, which helped me build my confidence and ease the nerves I had,” Penate said.
Hailey Gallegos (11), a standout wide receiver, has had an impressive year amassing over 1,814 yards. She recently shared her thoughts on the challenges and opportunities for the future.
“I predict we will make it far in CIF. We know what we are capable of and I think we will make it to the finals and take it home,” Gallegos said.
Receiver Kassidy Hockenhull (10) shared how she thinks it’s hard for people to take girls’ sports seriously, especially girls football, and how hard the players had to work to prove themselves.
“A lot of people underestimate women athletes so for people everywhere to be acknowledging us means a lot,” Hockenhull said.
