When Aptos High junior Gabi Dow showed up to the first day of flag football tryouts, she wasn’t sure how big of a squad they’d have for the program’s inaugural season.
Especially since a large chunk of freshmen didn’t partake in summer practices.
“When people started showing up it’s like we got a team here,” she said. “We had so many girls it was so great to see. [Players] were scared of cuts, but thankfully we got to keep everybody so that’s a blessing for sure.”
The Mariners are stacked with 30 players split up into Team 1—equivalent to the varsity team—and Team 2, which is considered the junior varsity level.
An interest in girls flag football continues to rise around the country and the sport eventually made its way into the Central Coast Section.
Dow had an inkling of a large turnout because Aptos Junior High already has an established team that has competed at the Pajaro Valley Unified School District for more than a decade.
However, she was nervous about other high schools having a program because a lot of other districts don’t offer junior high flag football.
“We were really happy with the turnout,” Dow said.
Aptos head coach Denise Russo, who also coaches the junior high team, said having a program at the high school level has been a long time coming.
“We believe that this is an opportunity that we’ve been missing out on,” she said. “I think there’s been a need for this and a desire for this for a long time…It has caught on like gangbusters.”
Russo—a college professor at Cabrillo, West Valley and Merced—said her entire career is focusing on equity and most importantly exhibiting good sportsmanship. Part of that is not just representing the school but an entire community, as well.
When the news broke that flag football would be an option for the girls, Russo felt her role as the coach was a calling.
“Not that it doesn’t come with some anxiety and it’s a whole different thing up at varsity than the junior high,” Russo said. “I think I’m really grateful to be part of that sort of movement for these women and to promote equity through the lens of sport.”
The Mariners made more history…pardon, herstory, by playing their first-ever home game in the program’s history at Trevin Dilfer Memorial Field on Sept. 28.
Dow connected with junior Natasha Newcombe for a 20-yard touchdown and junior Siena Black recorded the game-sealing interception to help Aptos beat Watsonville High, 6-0, in non-league action.
“It’s Watsonville, it doesn’t get better than that,” Dow said. “Every single sport at Watsonville is just constant competition no matter what. It was a great game, it was close. I think I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
Aptos started the season with an 18-14 loss to Salinas on Sept. 20. Dow found junior Izzy Graff for a 49-yard touchdown, while fellow teammate senior Sofia Aguilera had an interception return for a score and the defense recorded a safety.
The Mariners bounced right back with a 13-0 victory over Harbor in their first-ever Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League game on Sept. 23.
Dow recorded a pair of TDs starting with a 1-yard pass to sophomore Areyl Reyes Mager, followed by a 23-yard touchdown pass to freshman Valerie Hernadez. Senior kicker Angelique Nunez was credited for the successful extra point attempt.
“Some teams may say we want to just have easy wins all the way through and just be right at the top with no competition,” Dow said. “But I mean, that’s not real sports, you have to have competition to get better.”
Getting players to join the program wasn’t an issue for Russo. Her biggest challenge thus far is learning three different versions of the rules.
Russo said everybody from coaches, referees and players are dealing with the inconsistency such as knowing whether the spin move is legal or not.
At one point, she spent nearly 20 minutes with other coaches and referees figuring out how the field should be set up.
“It’s hard for everyone when you lack that consistency,” she said.
Most likely it’ll take the entire season to figure things out. In the meantime, Russo will continue to lead the girls in practice and move forward.
Dow said there’s no mystery football is a male-dominated sport and there aren’t many females on the field unless they are kickers.
She believes most of the new players were perhaps scared to join what’s still considered the new sport on campus.
“You might not know people on the team, just go and try out because you’re gonna find you’re gonna find a family there,” Dow said. “You’re gonna find people who are gonna love you, and they’re gonna support you and build you up.”
Dow said there’s been tons of representation throughout school announcements. She also mentioned athletic director Travis Fox has been a major supporter in getting the program up and running.
She believes starting the foundation for the girls’ program starts with becoming a good role model, showing the underclassmen, or new players, what it takes to build from the ground up.
“It’s cool to play a new sport and get to meet new people, and just learn stuff as a new team,” Dow said. “Pave the way for other generations.”
Next up, Aptos will play at Soquel High on Oct. 7 at 7pm.
