Girls’ Flag Football became a varsity sport just three years ago and is now a thrilling event at NAHS. The team started the season off with a 14-12 win against Chapel Hill on October 1st, with one goal in mind: making the championships. Striving to start this new season off right and move past the previous ones, the team has nothing but determination on its mind. Miya Bauer and Nivea Santiago lead with strength and speed, pushing the team to a bright future. With Head Coach Ricky Plante and Assistant Coach Will Leonard right by their side, the Girls’ Flag Football team kicks off with a good lead.
Nivea Santiago made her debut as a safety for Sutton’s Football team, and now at NAHS, Santiago plays receiver and running back for the varsity flag football team. As a captain, she sees the team’s dedication and athleticism this season, hoping this new potential motivation leads them to many touchdowns. Conditioning receives the same motivation and commitment as a game and practice. The positivity the team holds now spreads beyond offense and defense. Though they work separately most of the time, when they come together, they’re continuously stronger. As a leader, she is excited to guide the team and prioritizes positivity over intense criticism. “We don’t put negativity in the air, and even if we know the outcome, we still try our best,” she said. “We recognize the person who made yards, touchdowns, or interceptions”.
Senior Brooke Goodrum has been on the team since her sophomore year. In her heart, Goodrum realized she wanted to play flag football since her seventh-grade year. As a senior, Goodrum helps the captains by encouraging the girls and hyping them up during huddles. This year’s tryouts, compared to last year’s, were very different. The team saw an increase in new faces, filling in much-needed spots. With the loss of some of the team’s strong alumni, like Victoria Carlucci and Bella Van Nostran, who graduated last year, the team has expanded beyond what they thought possible. Goodrum is looking forward to the continuous top-tier athleticism and growth they will show throughout the season. However, she is not looking forward to when that final second goes down at the last game, and she realizes that she won’t be doing this again next year. “It feels bittersweet knowing that this is my last year playing my sport that I have dedicated six years of my life to,” Goodrum said.
The Warriors will have time to grow and learn to work together as a team during the span of about 20 regular-season games. One thing’s for sure: the Warriors aren’t just playing the game – they are changing it. This fall, the turf gets torn up and the Warriors rewrite the playbooks. They aren’t just grabbing flags, they’re grabbing history.
