State runner-up TCA, newcomer Fountain-Fort Carson excited to grow high school flag football
Gazette file
High school flag football in Colorado saw 1,972 participants in its first year as a sanctioned sport. That number will continue to grow with new and old teams prepared to shine.
The Classical Academy finished the season as 4A state runner-up with a 16-3 record. With a year under their belt, the Titans feel more prepared for the upcoming season.
TCA will also have several changes , including a new head coach in Dale Meyerrose and a new play style.
“We are looking at a lot of new offense and defense,” junior Brooklyn Blair said. “So we are transferring most of the things we learned skill-wise but not so much on the field. No one knows what we are going to look like, we don’t even know what we look like but it will be great.”
After a 26-0 loss in the state championship to Mountain View, the Titans are hungry to get back to the finals but plan to take it one game at a time, quarterback Kelsey Peterson said.
The Classical Academy’s Ryann Ferguson catches the ball against Mountain View’s Gwenneth Marks in the CHSAA 4A Girls Flag Football State Championship at Trailblazer Stadium in Lakewood on November 2, 2024.
The Classical Academy flag football team loses in 4A title game to Mountain View
Meyerrose has brought positive changes to the team.
“He’s really great, it’s changed how we think about the game,” sophomore Lauren Pantusa said . “He has helped us cultivate great team chemistry, and we are looking forward to a lot of the plays so I think that’s the biggest change.”
That team chemistry was a large part of their success.
“Flag football is one of those sports where you can take a lot of athletes and put them together and it can be so fun,” Peterson said. ”We know how to love each other well, that was our strength. I look forward to seeing them every day.”
Meyerrose says he has noticed growing enthusiasm for the sport since taking over as head coach, such as the junior Titan flag football camp led by the team this summer that drew 75 participants.
New Colorado Springs-based flag football camp prepares girls for fast-growing sport
“I think it’s super interesting how we are seeing college sports evolve and seeing flag football put into the mix,” Pantusa said. “Girls are seeing that opportunity and it’s something to be really excited about. Something you have to put the work in for.”
The sport’s growth is also seen in The addition of Fountain Fort-Carson’s flag football team, with Michael Clayborn as its first head coach.
Clayborn said he didn’t have to do much to get girls interested in joining the team, adding there are 127 preseason registrants.
“We have a range of athletes from basketball to tennis to soccer … we have everybody,” Clayborn said. “I think it’s the push to do something different.
“The amount of support has been phenomenal. Boys tackle has been rooting for us, sharing the field has been amazing. So I think sharing something new and something to look forward to has pushed us together.”
To quickly build chemistry and teach girls how to play the sport, the Trojans held a 10-week summer training camp that drew a steady number of students.
“It’s helped us become closer because we are together almost every day for four hours on the field,” cornerback Ailani Cole said . “It helps create a bond among all the grades, we wouldn’t be close if it weren’t for flag football.”
While one of the team’s goals is to beat rival Doherty, Clayborn is looking for a successful season over winning a particular game.
“Although they are our rivals, I feel we will do well in the season, and that’s more of what I’m looking forward to, is starting strong and finishing strong,” Clayborn said. “By the time we get to these graduating seniors we’ll be ready for whatever competition comes our way.”
The two flag football teams have different levels of experience, but both are equally proud to be part of the flag football movement in Colorado and beyond.
“I think it’s really cool to be part of a bigger movement,” Cole said. “I’m excited for our season and to see it build in the years after us. I think it’s really good for us, but especially for younger generations.”
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