Girls flag football is off and running in New York(with the Syracuse West team(a co-op of Syracuse City schools Corcoran, Fowler and ITC):
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/ce...new-york-state
Also a recent article about the team at Albany High, Albany Falcons flag football team flying high heading into postseason:
https://www.timesunion.com/sports/ar...ly%20headlines
"One game into the first season of high school girls’ varsity flag football, Albany High star running back Azera Gates predicted her team would be among the best in Section II.
“Expectations are very high,” Gates said in early April. “We know we’re capable of doing very good things. … We have to send a statement that Albany High can do a lot of sports and it’s not just good at basketball.”
Mission accomplished.
Albany was one of 12 Section II schools to field a team this spring as the Suburban Council embarked on its inaugural girls’ flag football season. And after the Falcons wrapped up their regular season schedule with a 10-1 record, punctuated by a 51-0 victory over Schenectady in Monday’s finale, it’s clear Gates was onto something.
“I think, for the first time ever doing this, we really put it together and did what we were supposed to do,” Gates said after practice on Wednesday.
But, for coach Decky Lawson and assistant coach Rachel Swann, the success of Albany’s flag football team never hinged on wins and losses this season. The coaches had been tasked with introducing a new sport to a new group of athletes, most of whom had never been given a chance to showcase their skills on the football field. So, the goals were simple.
“I wanted them to learn but they wanted to make a statement,” Swann said. “And they went out there and played their hearts out every time we stepped on the field. … I think what impresses me the most is how passionate they are.
“You can hear our sideline every time one of the girls gets out there and they do something that they’ve never done before, the whole team is jumping up behind them. So, there’s a family aspect where they all want to see each other win. They’re cheering for each other on their own personal growth journeys.”
For Lawson, it’s been just as important for the team to grow in the sport as it has been for them to enjoy themselves while doing it.
“The girls all have a great time,” Lawson said. “We try to put the fun piece into football as well because everybody thinks football is all serious, serious, serious. But we like to have a little fun, too.
“This is such a great sport right now. I’m just happy that we could be part of being the first and to make a statement right now so that the teams coming up behind this team can understand the expectations of being a good team.”
Lawson added, “It’s given so many girls a chance to play. So many girls from different walks of life. Given them another avenue to be a part of an athletic program.”
The lone blemish on the Falcons’ record came in an April 12 setback against Shaker, just two games into the season. According to Gates, it was the loss to the Blue Bison that helped set Albany on its path toward nine straight wins to close out the regular season.
“At the beginning of the season we didn’t know who we truly were but after our first loss we locked in and we just took off and we never looked back,” Gates said. “The loss humbled us. It made us go harder and know that we could always lose if we don’t put our foot on the pedal.”
“There’s a lot of good teams out there,” Lawson said. “We faced a lot of great competition. Obviously, we lost a tough game against Shaker, and it was a battle but there were a lot of teams out there that were good.”
Next up for the No. 1-seeded Falcons is a quarterfinal contest at home Friday against No. 8 seed Saratoga Springs, which defeated Colonie 25-12 in Wednesday’s first-round playoff game.
“I’m excited for what our team is going to look like for the next two weeks,” junior quarterback Ava Muhammed said. “I think we have a lot of potential to be great and we have elite players. We have a lot of talent on our team and I’m just excited to see how far we can go.”
Muhammed is just one example of the depth that the Albany team possesses. After a stellar start to the season, star freshman quarterback Narai Danzy went down with an injury April 29 against Colonie. Muhammed was called on to step in and lead the offense and she’s done a remarkable job in the four games since. Muhammed threw for six touchdowns and 296 yards against Schenectady on Monday and for three touchdown and 231 yards in a 40-6 regular-season victory May 1 against Saratoga Springs.
“I think I had to fill some pretty big shoes, playing as the backup quarterback,” Muhammed said. “A pretty big moment was the first game I played as the starting quarterback and got that first touchdown. It was important to me because it showed me that I can really do this.
“Being quarterback is a big position and I’m just excited to learn more about it.”
It’s been a season of firsts for virtually everyone on the team but, like Muhammed, some players have grown into their roles over the course of the past few months.
“We had some girls who are just natural athletes and they picked it up immediately,” Swann said. “But then we’ve got some girls who completely shocked us with what they’re actually capable of and how far they’ve come since day one.”
One player who has impressed the coaches on the defensive end is senior cornerback Jazlyn Gorousingh. Gorousingh missed the first few games with a toe injury but still remembers the euphoric feeling of getting her first sack in a game.
“It felt beautiful,” Gorousingh said. “I haven’t played flag football or football in general, and I didn’t really know what my capabilities were like until I actually got into a game and did it.”
Another Falcons player who has seen her role expand as the season has progressed is junior receiver Mia Corazzini. Corazzini had three touchdowns and 165 yards receiving against Schenectady and has become a major offensive threat for Albany.
“She’s tough and my go-to a lot on the offensive end,” Lawson said. “Everybody knows it’s coming to her at some point and still can’t really stop her. She had a lot of big games this year and I’m just hoping she can continue that in the playoffs.”
As the team embarks on its first postseason, Lawson’s goal is for them to take it one game at a time and not look too far into the future.
“I just want them to have a great experience with this,” Lawson said. “We’re taking every game seriously and we’re hoping not to drop one, but I just want this to be a learning experience for all of them from here on.”
It’s clear that the significance of the moment is not lost on the players and Muhammed embraces the chance to continue to build on the team’s success.
“It’s such an amazing thing for us to be able to have this opportunity,” Muhammed said. “Because this is the first flag football team at Albany High and we’ve made it this far already. So, I just think it’s magical.”
“I feel like we’re ready,” Gorousingh said. “We’re going to keep going as a team. Coach said the team that’s closest is going to win and I feel like we’ve been building our bond and winning and we’re just going to keep doing that.”
For Gates, the goal has always been to position Albany High as the team to beat now and in the years to come. “Our goal is to win it all,” she said."
Photos from their matchup with Schenectady High:
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...8/3/960x0.webp
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...9/3/960x0.webp
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...3/3/960x0.webp
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...2/3/960x0.webp
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...5/3/960x0.webp
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...3/3/960x0.webp
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...1/3/960x0.webp
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...4/3/960x0.webp
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/42/...2/3/960x0.webp
(vs. Colonie):
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7C9OROJRXb/
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