Girls flag football takes off at BLHS and SHS as newest sport

The Bonney Lake High School’s new girls flag football team made history and had its inaugural game this week, led by coach Eric Jarvis. 

“Coaching this inaugural season of Girls Flag Football at Bonney Lake High School is an absolute privilege,” Jarvis said, expressing gratitude for the staff and volunteers who helped launch the program, including assistant coaches Jason Silbaugh, Ashton Bruce, and Shannon Sullivan, as well as Athletic Coordinator Aaron Radford. “Our student-athletes have shown up every day with a genuine desire to learn, compete, and support one another. Their work ethic, accountability, and enthusiasm have set the tone for the culture we want this program to embody. I’m incredibly proud of how they’ve embraced the challenge of building something new and established a foundation that future Panthers can build upon.”

This is the first year both Bonney Lake and Sumner high schools have a girls flag football team. Led by head coach Alec Simmons, the sport was offered at Sumner High School for the first time last year after a student-led movement. The team advanced to the SPSL 4A League Tournament and the League Championship game, coming in 2nd place and qualifying them for the Washington Flag South Division Tournament as a #2 seed.

“It has become an incredible opportunity for girls to jump in and be part of a rapidly-growing sport,” Simmons said. “It is very cool to see athletes who grew up playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, fastpitch, and lacrosse come together and use their sport-specific skills to showcase their talents in a new way. As a dad, the most rewarding part is seeing my 10-year-old daughter and her friends watch our team compete and say, ‘I think I would like to try that.’"

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) made girls flag football an officially recognized high school sport in Washington last spring. It’s the first time the WIAA sanctioned a new sport since 1999.

Want to see both teams in action? Bonney Lake High School and Sumner High School teams go head-to-head tomorrow, Dec. 5 at Sunset Chev Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 pm.