There is a changing of the guard within the ranks of SDSSAA flag football this fall – but let’s be frank: there is always a changing of the guard within this particular pocket of high-school sports.
Certainly the move from 12 v 12 to seven on seven back in 2018 changed the landscape notably.
Where the original era would see quasi-dynasties created initially at Lo-Ellen (1988-1998) and then through to Lockerby (2001-2003), Collège Notre-Dame (2004-2009) and Marymount Academy (2011-2017), the game with notably less on-field traffic has given rise to success at Confederation (SG – 2020-2022) and Lasalle (SG – 2018-2019), with the likes Horizon, Bishop Carter and Lively all in the mix from time to time.
That’s no less than nine different schools covered in one single paragraph.
And now consider that St Charles sits second in senior girls (Div A) at 3-1 and are undefeated at 4-0 in the junior ranks – and that Sudbury Secondary are a clear cut threat in the B senior girls grouping – and that St Benedict will go toe to toe with the North Stars – and that Champlain are the defending champs in that division.
The only constant is change in flag football it seems, partially due to some movement with coaches in recent years, and partially due to a unique dynamic that is seldom seen in other SDSSAA circles.
Where the feeder system for pretty much all other sports can give folks like me a pretty good handle on who should be favoured coming into most every new season, flag football has no such grass roots level. Pretty much the only given is that assembling a squad of more natural athletes will give those guiding the teams more to work with – but whether that talent should come from other team sports or cross-country & track roots or other endeavours altogether is pretty much a crap shoot.
A native of Cameroon, Sophie Simo did not even move to Canada until December of 2020. Now 16 years old, the two-way player with the 3-1 SSS (Sudbury Secondary School) entry had known only soccer as her sport of youth. Yet in flag football, that puts her on pretty much an even keel with every other grade nine student introduced to the sport for the very first time at high-school.
Which is why her explanation for the North Stars success this year makes so much sense.
“We didn’t have as many coaches in the past years,” said Simo, moments after sailing the game-winning point after through the uprights, converting a touchdown from Grace Beange as Secondary edged the St Benedict Bears 7-6. “We didn’t change our plays very often and we weren’t getting numbers.”
“Now, this year, this is so easy to understand. The coaches are really good at explaining the plays and where we have to go.”
And there are three to four coaches on the North Stars’ sideline. And in Simo and others in this lineup, they have raw material to work with.
“In Cameroon, I was really competitive,” said Simo. “I loved playing with the boys because they were really rough and they built me up. But in Cameroon, all I would play is soccer.”
Make no mistake – Chloe Martin is an athlete.
Easily one of the most talented girls in her age bracket in girls’ hockey, she mirrors so many of the natural athletes in town, able to move pretty seamlessly into another venue of play, in this case quarterbacking a St Charles junior girls (Div A) team that is steamrolling opponents (note of interest: the Cards have yet to play Horizon, who also sits at 4-0).
Regardless, Martin echoes the thoughts of so many participants in terms of the value that she draws from her involvement with flag football.
“It’s nice just having a different sport to do, an outdoor sport with running,” said the 15 year old grade 10 student at SCC. “I like throwing the ball and I like the team atmosphere of it. Just playing new sports helps me all around with every sport, makes me more athletic.”
And when she sets her sights on her receiving options, it’s a virtual embarrassment of riches. No less than seven different players recorded touchdowns in the two Cardinals’ victories this week.
“We have a lot of strong catchers (receivers) and runners,” said Martin. “I can rely on some girls for some plays and they can get it done. And if not, I know how to switch it up.”
Mya Massimiliano is perhaps a little more multi-sport than others – but equally as athletic.
A dominant force in the senior girls Division B loop for the Marymount Regals (4-0), Massimiliano boasts a sporting resume dotted with appearances with the Lady Wolves and the GSSC Impact – and a top ten finish in cross-country as well.
She likely tapped into a little bit of all of that Monday at the James Jerome Sports Complex, hauling in a deep throw from QB Kayiesha Thomas on the second last play of the game to snatch a 21-14 win away from the Lively Hawks, just two plays after a Payton Stos major and two-point conversion from Bria Tomlinson looked to give LDSS a key point in their battle for a playoff spot.
“The only thing in my head was: don’t mess up, don’t mess up, don’t mess up,” said the 16 year-old grade 11 student at Marymount. “Catch the ball, catch the ball – then I caught it and just ran.”
Kayiesha Thomas adds a little more backing to the “bring athletes aboard and see what happens” argument in flag football. The number one track and field thrower in the city in her age group, Thomas swept the junior girls shot put, discus and javelin last May – which might help explain some of her knack for spiraling the football 40 to 50 yards or more downfield.
“She is super-fast and has a rocket of a throw,” said Massimiliano, noting the progression the two have enjoyed since they first started with the Regals two years ago. “She takes her time with the ball more now. She can get out of the pocket and look for more space.”
With a record of 2-2 in the junior girls Division A loop, first year high-schooler Abbey Dagostino and her Lo-Ellen Park teammates flash signs of the potential that lies within as they look to chase down St Charles and Horizon (both at 4-0), as well as 3-1 Bishop Carter.
Blessed with a number of years of training in gymnastics, the 14 year-old running back can weave her way through a crowd with the best of them. “I just watch the play and if they are all coming at me one way, I will deke them out and go the other way,” noted the youngster the coaches have dubbed “Wheels”.
And like most teams who are enjoying at least some success on the field, the Knights do find time to work with their coaches in preparation for what is clearly a very short season. “We do a lot of handoffs, so we practice that a lot – trying out different things and seeing what works well,” said Dagostino.
“I really like the play where I fake my handoff and then I keep it.”
It’s all part of the learning process for athletes on all 27 of the SDSSAA flag football teams this year, athletes who more or less start at exactly the same point, all trying to become the next Queens of the Mountain.
It’s likely because they know a changing of the guard is imminent.
