VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) — Redwood flag football is rewriting the history books entering the Central Section playoffs as the number one seed in part because up until this year, there wasn’t any history to write.
”Getting to represent this new sport in Visalia is something really special,” says linebacker Tori Ochoa. “First-ever flag football girls in our district and it’s a new sport, so getting to play our first game at our school is something really special.”
Visalia Unified School District offered flag football as a CIF-sanctioned sport for the first time this fall, with three out of the four schools making it into the postseason.
”Our district support of sports, and especially female sport in this case, has been awesome, and we’re really grateful for it,” says coach Michael Wright II.
It’s giving girls in the South Valley a chance to showcase their talents on the football field.
”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,” Ochoa said.
The Redwood Rangers rounded out regular season play with a 17-1 record and 12 straight wins entering the postseason.
‘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,” says quarterback Emma Crisp.
”For us, it’s always been about our process of getting better, and they’ve really embraced that,” Wright II said. “I hope they carry that through everything they do in life.”
Etching their names in Redwood lore and setting the standard for future rangers that now have a legacy to live up to.
”They know in the future, they could be able to play,” Ochoa said. “For us, we didn’t have that like opportunity, and I think it’ll be really big and we’ll get better each year because of the training when you’re younger.”
There is lots to be proud of in the Visalia Unified School District and all that these girls have accomplished just by stepping out on these fields this season.
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Source: abc30.com
