No helmets, no shoulder pads, and an undefeated season.

This fall, the Carlmont Scots have set a winning precedent in the inaugural season of girls flag football.

The team’s introduction came after a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) decision to establish girls flag football as an official interscholastic sport in the spring of 2023. However, the Central Coast Section (CCS) hesitated to add flag football to the docket for the following fall athletic season.

“CCS didn’t adopt it because they felt like it was too late to do so in order to get it up and running for the fall. But what they did say is that any leagues can have it,” said Carlmont Athletic Director Patrick Smith.

When the Peninsula Athletic League opted to add girls flag football to the official fall sports, the Scots joined the movement of teams making this step in advancing gender equality in athletics. According to Sports Business Journal, flag football is now a sanctioned interscholastic sport in eight states. 

The rise of flag football is proving to be a major step toward inclusivity in sports, whether interscholastic, recreational, or professional. 

For Oscar Fabic, fostering inclusivity was a motivation for taking on the role of head coach.

“I wanted to help establish a powerhouse flag football program here at Carlmont to represent our area and represent the school,” Fabic said. “I also have two daughters. They’re young, but I wanted to build something for them to take advantage of in the future.”

Additionally, major athletic corporations such as Nike and the NFL are sponsoring programs to allow new athletes to find a place on the field through flag football. In 2020, the partnership announced plans to award a total of $5 million in grants working to expand the role of flag football in high schools.

But high schools are not the only opportunities for flag football contests. The NFL has also sponsored NFL FLAG, an organization of youth flag football leagues, since the 1990s. Now, with over 600,000 participating in NFL FLAG, the organization is focusing on paving the way for female athletes to succeed on the football field as collegiate and professional athletes.

Currently, 23 collegiate women’s flag football teams are competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) flag football league sponsored by NFL FLAG. Flag football has also been added to the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games program as both a men’s and women’s sport.

Whether on a global scale or locally, the added element of formal competition to flag football is drawing a new crowd.

“I really liked playing flag football during homecoming. So when I found out there was going to be an official team, I decided to try out,” said Soniya Kamatkar, the running back on the senior team. 

Prior to the introduction of the official girls flag football team, the only option for female athletes to play flag football in an organized contest at Carlmont was the homecoming Spirit Bowl tournament hosted by Carlmont’s Associated Student Body (ASB).

“There has been a lot of interest in flag football in terms of participating in the Spirit Bowl,” Smith said. “So I think I think getting an opportunity to represent your school against other schools is something that I think athletes are generally just drawn to.”

This year, Carlmont quickly became a front-runner girls flag football team in the PAL. The Scots earned a season-high ranking in the top 20 in California and top 50 nationally, according to MaxPreps.

The Scots’ league season started with the team’s home opener against the Aragon Dons, where Carlmont won 27-0. 

From the start of the season, the Scots’ camaraderie was a driving force during practices and games alike.

“There’s a great spirit and community on the team,” said senior center Tessa Young. “We’re always there to support each other.”

The team maintained an undefeated record against the Woodside Wildcats, Capuchino Mustangs, Hillsdale Knights, Terra Nova Tigers, Sequoia Ravens, and Burlingame Panthers.

“You can never know how a season will go, especially the first year where you don’t know who the players are going to be,” Fabic-Cortez said. “I definitely would not have anticipated anything, although, from the very beginning, I set the goal. Before I even met the players, I set a goal of building a championship-caliber flag football team.”

The Scots did not lose a game and have only had 20 points scored against them throughout their entire season. Their success is creating excitement and garnering support from the Carlmont community.

“People think it’s really cool that we’ve been undefeated,” said sophomore wide receiver and linebacker Emerson Barajas. “I think people didn’t expect it, so we’ve been able to surprise them.”

Looking toward many seasons to come, the Scots are working on maintaining their winning streak and establishing themselves as a dominant powerhouse in the emerging flag football community.

“Goal number one is to establish a championship-caliber flight football program. Goal number two is to reach the potential of all the student-athletes in that program and maximize that potential,” Fabic said. “But beyond that, I think it is establishing a consistent winning program and establishing the name and the brand of what Carlmont flag football means.”