Who runs the world? Girls! Quakertown’s first flag football team was introduced this winter for all the girls at Quakertown High School. A sport that has taken the nation by storm is now going to be offered to the Quakertown Panthers. This year’s team is run by Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Field Huber, Assistant Coach and Offensive Coordinator Scott Maganlengo, assistant. Coach Kelly Kruz, and Team Administrator Crystal Huber. The team officially has 17 players for this year’s season. Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator, Field Huber, is ecstatic to set in motion this new sports program for all the Quakertown High School girls.
This sport not only empowers female athletes to be cofounding leaders and team players but also offers the opportunity to represent our Quakertown community to neighboring schools and at playoffs. The season is set to kick off at the beginning of March, but the girls have been practicing all through the winter. This team is ready to face anything that comes their way!
This sport is quite different from all of the other sports programs QCSH offers. This sport is not PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association), but rather run and funded by the Philadelphia Eagles, who are graciously providing funding for this year’s season along with providing uniforms for the team. The Philadelphia Eagles, Pennsylvania’s very own National Football League team, mention their reasoning for the establishment of the team in their recent post, “The Philadelphia Eagles are committed to reducing barriers to entry to the game of football, especially for girls! In 2022 the Eagles launched a Girls Flag Football league with 16 teams. In 2023, the initiative has expanded to include 38 teams from PA and another 14 from South Jersey”(Eagles Media, Philadelphia Eagles).
The future of girls’ flag football can only look up from here, with more schools introducing the sport, and several college scholarships being offered for girls to take it a step further and play on the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) level. The NFL continues to push for the future of the sport through the creation of several leagues and events.
When talking to the girls, they all agree that they are “absolutely ecstatic” for the season to start. With some of the team members returning from the local travel team the Lady Vikings. The love for this new sport grows in the hearts and minds of the teammates. A sport is only as good as a team. With the weekly practices, the girls have only grown closer, building ever-lasting friendships while also learning very valuable teamwork skills. This team is unmatched! The girls are challenged to trust each other’s skills and work together while competing in 7 on 7 games. This division creates dozens of engagements on the field at a fast-moving pace. There is a total of 8 games not including scrimmages with local schools, then a playoff within the division to determine #1, There are 4 divisions. The top teams in each division play in a playoff at the Novacare Complex.
Although the signups are closed for this year’s season, this program is not going away! Next year’s season is going to be elite, and the incredible opportunity to play on the Quakertown High School football team will be open to all girls at QCHS. Any girl wanting to join in the 2025 season can sign up next winter for tryouts. This program would not be possible without our incredible Quakertown community, so join in on the fun and show your Quakertown pride. Come to a game in March to cheer on our first-ever QCHS Girls Flag Football team and help make this season great! Go Panthers!
