The California Interscholastic Federation only recognized girls flag football as an official sport at the start of this school year โ and on Sunday, the Oakland Unified School District celebrated its first championship game.ย
The Oakland Tech Bulldogs beat the McClymond High Warriors 32-6 Saturday night, making OUSD history and showing everyone that the football field is also for girls.
โItโs good to be part of a team so loving, so caring,โ said Ayanna McClinton, a ninth grader at Oakland Tech. โAnd being able to carry on a legacy, being able to say, โoh yeah, I was the first flag football team in Oakland.โ So yeah, itโs a good feeling.โ
Athletes on both teams said they play multiple sports: basketball, softball and even cheer.
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โI love it. Itโs like living a double life,โ said Damya Belford, the captain of the McClymmonds High School team. โI play football and I come out here and cheer. Like, I played at 4 oโclock and Iโm cheering at seven.โ
โCheer is my number one spot,โ said Taliyah Williams, an Oakland Tech 11th grader, โbut flag might be taking that place.โ
Flag football may be a new offering for California high schools, but the girls have been playing long before this year.
California
โI was playing sports since I was younger, playing with boys and all that,โ said Aaryon Alston, an 11th grader at Oakland Tech. โI finally get to play a real flag football sport.โ
While wearing the championship medal was nice, the team agreed that the true highlight of the season was finding friendship through football.
โGrowing up, I always played football with my brothers,โ said Williams. โI have a whole other family now.โ