On a picture-perfect day for fall football in Sudbury, the Lo-Ellen Park Knights junior girls flag football team delivered the picture-perfect play.
Having already run for a major to open the scoring, Knights’ quarterback Lia Gallo eased back into the pocket and let sail with a beauty of a spiral jettisoned some thirty yards downfield. In full stride and with arms stretched out wide, receiver Rya D’Amour hauled in the sphere, without missing a beat, sprinting her way to the end zone.
The play was clearly a big part of a 35-6 quarter-final victory for Lo-Ellen over the Bishop Carter Gators in Junior Division A playoff action – but it was also emblematic of the advances made in the sport in recent years, with athleticism and football IQ very much part and parcel of many a high-school flag football outing at the James Jerome Sports Complex.
“Our quarterback (Gallo) throws very well,” noted D’Amour, a 15 year old grade ten student and one of a handful of fleet-footed Knights who also are key components of the school’s juggernaut track and field program. “I knew that she could throw a long ball so I just ran as fast as I could as far as I could.”
“I was open and she hit me and it worked out great.”
That said, it was hardly a fluke.
Head coach Steve Gallo is one of several flag football mentors who spends time and effort broadening the scope of knowledge for the young women under their charge.
Yes, the presence of three-time OFSAA sprint medal winner Annabelle Richardson is hard to ignore, the second year Knight recording a pair of touchdowns in the win. But for a Lo-Ellen squad that ran the gamut with five straight regular season wins, she is hardly the only option.
“Our coach will try and come up with unique plays that involve everyone,” said D’Amour. “We always try and be inclusive and pass the ball to everyone – and we do a lot of throwing and catching drills at practice.”
As is the case with both D’Amour and Richardson, Macdonald-Cartier junior defensive stalwart Ava Zacharosky can also draw on three previous years of flag football experience, the trio part of a growing trend for the girls to garner their first exposure to the sport in grades seven and eight.
At that time, Zacahrosky lined up at QB, making the switch to the defensive side last year and gradually getting a feel for a completely different viewpoint of the game.
“A lot of people are running at me but I just have to make sure that I don’t get in my head and always keep a positive mindset,” said Zacharosky, her team also moving on to the final four as the Panthères outscored the Chelmsford Flyers 63-34 in a Senior Girls Division B shootout.
The 2025 season has generally seen more scoring, with many of the competitors pointing to the new flags in use, generally far more difficult to clutch firmly, even tougher to do so without initiating the type of contact that will cause a defender to be penalized.
Zacharosky whole-heartedly acknowledged the challenge that came with the equipment change.
“We have learned to be more aggressive pulling the flags,” she said. “Make sure that you have both hands on the flag. I think that using two hands gives you more power, more strength when you are pulling the flags.”
And as for the penalties?
“If you have any anger in you, make sure not to take it out on the girl,” Zacharosky added with a smile. “That’s not the greatest.”
As the final score suggested, the notion if easily pulling the flag is easier said than done.
Chelmsford ball carriers Madison Burns and Ryleigh Harris combined to score five touchdowns while Macdonald-Cartier standout Arianne Tonkovic crossed the goal line with ball in hand no less than seven times in this matchup.
Zacharosky, for her part, could empathize with members of the Flyers defensive unit.
“I’ve gotten the flag off her (Tonkovic) before in practice, but it’s hard because she does the spin move a lot,” said Zacharosky. “She’s really fast and she knows how to avoid people, to cut in.”
“But it gives me a lot more confidence knowing I can get the flag off her.”
At least from time to time.
With two more years of high-school remaining, Zacharosky is sure to build on an already decent knowledge of knowing what to look for in terms of defending her turf.
“You want to always make sure to look at where the quarterback is and the way that she is looking,” she explained. “Look for a handoff if the girls is right behind her.”
Drama in the division came courtesy of the Lockerby Vikings and Lively Hawks, the teams needing overtime to settle matters. Tied at 13-13, the Hawks recorded the touchdown on their first possession of OT, with Leah Salo doing the honours, with the Vikings drive thwarted by an interception as Lively emerged victorious, 19-13.
The remaining two Senior Division B affairs would see the defending champion Champlain Requins dispose of the Sudbury Secondary North Stars with ease while the Collège Notre-Dame Alouettes grounded the Sacré-Coeur Griffons 20-14.
The Senior Division A quarter-finals are set for Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. through until 9:30 p.m. or so at James Jerome, with both finals scheduled to take place on Thursday November 6th.
Advancing through to the semi-finals along with Lo-Ellen in the Junior Division A ranks were the Lasalle Lancers (7-0 over Marymount), the Horizon Aigles (21-9 over Lockerby) and the St Charles Cardinals (15-10 over Confederation). Junior Division B playoffs start on Monday, with only three teams (St Benedict/Champlain/Lively) in the mix.
