Jericho Girls' Flag Football Team Prepares for Second Season as Sport Explodes Across Long Island
The Jericho High School girls' flag football team is gearing up for their second season, joining a rapidly expanding movement that has transformed high school athletics across Long Island.
The Jericho High School girls’ flag football team is gearing up for their second season, joining a rapidly expanding movement that has transformed high school athletics across Long Island.
Since launching on Long Island in 2022 with just 16 schools, girls’ flag football has experienced dramatic growth, according to league data. Today, over 100 high schools on Long Island and more than 200 schools statewide field teams in the High School Girls Flag Football League, backed by strong support from the New York Jets and Nike.
“I didn’t realize how big this sport really is until we started our first season,” said head coach Peter O’Malley. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm from players and parents.”
The sport’s appeal stems largely from its inclusiveness. Research from the National Federation of State High School Associations shows that approximately 50% of girls joining high school flag football teams are participating in a school sport for the first time.
This trend is evident in Jericho’s squad. O’Malley said that only about seven players from his 18-member team had played flag football before in youth leagues and at summer camps.
“The girls who had never played the sport before jumped right in, ready to learn and contribute,” O’Malley said. “They improved fast.”
For players like sophomore wide receiver and defensive back Logan Fuller, the inaugural season offered lessons beyond athletics.
“For my first season of flag football, I enjoyed making special friendships with my teammates and building a new program for Jericho,” Fuller said. “I am so thankful to have made these friendships and to have been a part of the first team of Jericho Flag Football history.”
Junior wide receiver and rusher Skylar Rand found deeper meaning in the sport’s collaborative nature.
“I learned that the sport is about trusting in the unseen, meaning trusting that the passes will be thrown exactly to where you will be or that a teammate will have your back in the moment it counts,” Rand said.
O’Malley, who has coached boys’ high school football for 10 years and taught music for six years, said he enjoys learning the variations of flag football, which has major differences in scheme, preparation and pace from the tackle version.
The coach anticipates having 20-30 players this year, with athletes from grades 8-12.
League organizers have restructured conferences for the second season. While inaugural season conferences were organized based on school size, they will now be reorganized based on teams’ experience level. Jericho will play in conference 3, a move that could level the playing field as the team looks to improve and win more games.
Despite finishing with a 1-12 record last season, the team’s learning experience reinforced players’ commitment to building the program’s foundation.
“Throughout the season, I learned that the most important part of being on a new team was building a foundation for future years,” Fuller said. “I learned that it’s not just about winning games or getting playing time, but making sure that our team has set important norms for years to come.”
The team will host a pre-season scrimmage against East Meadow, Glen Cove and Wantagh on March 17 at 5 p.m. Jericho’s home opener against East Rockaway is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 20. The regular season runs until May before playoffs begin.
Sophomore wide receiver and defensive back Drew Principe expressed optimism about the upcoming season.
“For our upcoming season, I’m excited to be back out on the field and work on getting our team to be the best it can be on all fronts,” Principe said. “In that way, we can make a team that Jericho can be proud of and create future opportunities for girls in sports.”
