LINWOOD — Coach Andrew Monroe has watched Mainland Regional High School’s flag football team blossom over the past three years.
He started with 13 girls two years ago in the inaugural season, had 20 last year and this year has 40 — enough that he fielded varsity and JV teams against Millville last week.
It was Senior Day on April 30 and Monroe and parents honored some 15 senior players and three senior managers.
“The growth has been exponential,” Monroe said after his girls beat Millville 7-0 courtesy of a long pass play from quarterback Jayne McCartney to track star Sofia Day, with the extra point coming on a run by speedster Marlene Colombo. All three girls are seniors.
Monroe, who also has been an assistant coach for the past six years for the state championship Mustang football team, pointed out flag football has been growing all over. It is well beyond South Jersey where the West Jersey Football League has five divisions and 31 teams. There are four other conferences in the state.
The coach said flag football “is a great way for girls who don’t have a sport to find their niche” and for athletes from other sports who like to compete.
“I love that we’re able to provide the opportunity for girls to play,” he said. He noted other athletes, including soccer and basketball players, “translate nicely into spring flag football. Just the way they have field awareness, the way they position their bodies in front of the defenders. All those ball skills … translate real nicely into flag football. It’s cool to see.”
A number of the seniors on the team talked about how they enjoy playing and the camaraderie flag football provides.
Tyler Connell, who plays cornerback or linebacker and loves the thrill of getting an opponent’s flag, also loves the atmosphere with the other girls. She came out for the team because her friend’s dad, Mike Colombo, is a coach for the team.
“I love how close our team is and it’s just an exciting game,” she said. Connell has been playing flag football since the team began her sophomore year, but will be playing soccer at college after she graduates.
Her friend, Marlena Colombo, played soccer “her whole life” and wanted to try something new. “It became boring and I was like, all right, I’ll try flag football,” she said. “And it’s the best decision I’ve ever made, honestly.”
She enjoys the sport because “everything happens so fast. You don’t sit and think about your mistakes, you just worry about the next play.” And, she said, “I love my team because we’re all so close.”
Day, a state champion distance runner for Mainland Regional who is headed to Vanderbilt University, said her dad taught her how to catch when she was younger. She uses her speed as a wide receiver.
Day enjoyed trying something new, while still running track, because she wanted to do something with her friends.
“I think we have a strong connection and it’s fun celebrating with them all,” Day said.
Since she scored the winning touchdown and got to celebrate the win over Millville, how does she compare the feeling of getting a touchdown with winning a distance race?
“They’re pretty close,” she said, laughing. “They both have a good feeling at the end, so I don’t know.”
McCartney loves playing quarterback and helping set up the plays. This is her second year with the team. “It’s a tough position to be in but it’s fun,” she said.
“I’ve always wanted to play football, so being able to play this as a sport is really thrilling,” she added.
After she graduates this year she is headed to Montclair University, which is starting a flag football team. She hopes to be able to continue her playing career at college.
Fellow senior Elise Tedeschi saw the sport as something new at Mainland and wanted to be part of the early history of the team. She plays center and loves it.
“We have a chemistry,” she said about herself and McCartney.
She enjoys being able to start the plays, work with her quarterback and block for her. “I also love celebrating with our flag football team. I feel like we have great chemistry. We’re just a very close-knit group.”
She is headed for Montclair University as well.
“Maybe we could team up again,” she said of herself and McCartney. Laughing, she added, “It would be fun. The dynamic duo going to Montclair State.”
Monroe understands the camaraderie the girls feel “1,000 percent.”
“I think we’re one of the only schools in South Jersey that has our practices at 6 a.m. before school and we have Saturday morning practices,” he said. “Those girls know that we’re in this together. We’re here to get better,” Monroe said.
He noted the team, which is now 3-5 on the season, suffered some tough losses but that he is impressed when the girls show back up at 6 a.m. so they can improve. “That is awesome to see.”
The coach added that a lot of these girls have played football and sports together growing up.
“Whether it’s lacrosse, volleyball, track, they have a lot of familiarity with each other and seeing them have that chemistry on the football field is awesome,” he said.
Asked about some of his seniors, Monroe pointed to McCartney, “who does a great job handling the huddle”; Day, “who just got back from an injury and it’s super nice to have her able to spread the field”; running back Kylie Hennelly, “who never gets off the field”; Colombo, “who’s played a lot of flag football over the past three years”; Connell, Tedeschi and Elaina Dinofa, “a sure-handed ball catcher and she’s just a great person on top of being a great athlete.” He also cited newcomers Casey O’Brien and Abby Heffernan.
Monroe said his seniors all have different skill sets and he enjoys seeing them using them on the field.
“Seeing them used out on the football field and helping each other out is just a blessing,” he said.
The coach’s goal for his players is to never stop competing and if something doesn’t go right to “flush it” — don’t dwell on the negative but learn and get better from it.
The season goal at this point is try to beat each of the teams that beat them.
“We’ve had our losses, but what I tell them is we’re going to see this team again and we’re going to give them our best shot,” he said. “Aside from the scoreboard, I just want the girls to show maximum effort and to have fun. I think fun is what brought us all here together. … Having fun allows them to play loose and play fee and play well and execute better.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
