Redwood Girls Finish Unbeaten in First-Ever District Flag Football Season

The Redwood Rangers finished their regular season with a 17-1 record and a twelve-game winning streak. They enter the Central Section playoffs as the number one seed. This achievement marks the first time a girls' flag football team in the district has reached the postseason.

Until this fall, the Visalia Unified School District did not offer flag football as a sanctioned sport by the California Interscholastic Federation. The program launched this year with participation from four high schools. Three of those four teams advanced to the playoffs. Redwood emerged from the field with the top ranking in the central section.

Coach Michael Wright II credited the district for its backing of female athletics. He stated, "Our district support of sports, and especially female sport in this case, has been awesome, and we're really grateful for it." The coaching staff focused on process and improvement throughout the year. Wright II noted, "For us, it's always been about our process of getting better, and they've really embraced that."

Linebacker Tori Ochoa described the experience of playing the first-ever girls' flag football games in the district as special. She said, "Getting to represent this new sport in Visalia is something really special.. getting to play our first game at our school is something really special." Quarterback Emma Crisp added to the sentiment, calling the home playoff victory "pretty big." Crisp emphasized the team's effort, saying, "Our first season and just coming out hard the whole season, getting the number one seed, getting to play our first playoff game home and then winning is pretty big."

The squad's performance gives girls in the South Valley a new platform to display athletic talent. Ochoa expressed excitement about the opportunity to compete in a new sport with a group of natural athletes. She said, "Just having the opportunity to play a new sport and end up having a really good team of natural athletes is really fun and exciting." The players recognize that they are setting a standard for future generations at Redwood.

The team looks ahead to the upcoming playoff games. They hold the advantage of hosting their first postseason match. The roster aims to carry their regular season momentum into the next round of competition. Their results establish a baseline for the young program in the district.