The sun begins to set over the grassy field, and the Moanalua High School girls’ flag football team prepares to gather with their blue jerseys shining bright against the evening sky. Anticipation fills each player’s mind, but you can see the exhilarating atmosphere they are creating for their crowd. The whistle blows, and excitement runs through the field as the game starts. Soon, cheers are as loud as a pride of lions roaring.
For a long time, men have dominated the art of football, but it’s going to be different now. We enter another spring sports season with a new national high school sport: girls’ flag football. The national girls’ flag football announcement marks a pivotal moment for young women to compete and show off their speed, agility, and strategic talents.
On August 1st, 2024 in a press conference with the HIDOE, the HHSAA, and the supporters of McKinley High School’s athletic complex, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and the Hawaii State Department of Education introduced a new and progressive introduction to girls’ flag football to the state. With the support of the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks, Nike, and other private contributors; girls’ flag football was granted not just training, but also equipment to the newly added sport. This announcement makes Hawaii the 12th state in the country to offer flag football as a high school sport.
Governor Josh Green got to witness a game of girls’ flag football at Roosevelt High School, where Moanalua got to show off and shut down Roosevelt in a whopping 44-0. Menehune girls kicked off their regular season games with a great victory and thus far have continued to shut down every other team they faced, going on a record of 10-0.
Simanu, wide receiver of the girls’ flag football team, mentioned how good it feels to be included in the beginning of an era of young women in the male-dominated sport.
“It feels good. I mean it’s a big thing because it’s the first year, and I think we’re gonna win states,” freshman Iaorana Simanu expressed. “I was very excited because it came, like perfect timing, like right when I got to high school, it just came.”
Head Coach Ladd Mokiao has been coaching for 15 years and has done 60 consecutive seasons throughout his life as a coach. “[I] started off with my older son, and now he’s old, and I guess I got bored, so I started investing my time into girls [flag football] four years ago.” Coach Ladd trained most of the girls here at Moanalua before he became the head coach for their team. “Majority of my girls that played with me, they’re at Moanalua, especially my QB [Zaira Sugui].” Hearing this, Coach Ladd decided to take the opportunity to become the head coach.
With their hard work at practices and dedication to strategy, our Moanalua’s girls’ flag football team finished a knock-out regular season and with OIA playoffs ahead, the future feels bright… bright royal blue, that is.
