Rancho Cotate beats San Marin in Sonoma County’s 1st girls flag football game

History was made at Rancho Cotate High School on Wednesday night in Rohnert Park, as the Cougars hosted the first-ever official girls flag football game in Sonoma County.

The California Interscholastic Federation, the state’s governing body for high school sports, voted in February to add girls flag football as a sanctioned sport starting this school year. The topic has been discussed and debated for years but is finally taking its first steps this fall.

Rancho Cotate also came out on top in the historic evening, beating San Marin 8-6. Sophie Valle had the touchdown reception off a pass from Melia Smith.

“It went really well. The girls did great,” Rancho Cotate head coach Sarah Shaw said. “… A great learning experience because it was the first time we were playing with refs.”

Rancho Cotate is one of several local schools with a girls flag team this year. Analy, Casa Grande and Petaluma are also in the mix, along with a few Marin schools.

Local teams are all playing independent/freelance programs right now, meaning they don’t belong to a league. The North Coast Section is not holding championships for the sport this year and the North Bay League is considering setting up a league next year if there are enough programs.

Shaw said the Cougars have a roster of 21 players, but more are joining the team each week. Current players are recruiting their friends to join — plus, Shaw said, a lot of girls weren’t aware of the sport since it is the first year. She thinks she’ll have 24 players by the end of this week.

“I went to Rancho when I was younger and I really wish that this opportunity had been available for me,” Shaw said. “I’m just glad to be a part of it and basically empower girls all over the county to get into some action.”

The Cougars currently have 13 games on their schedule and a few weekend jamboree/tournaments. They’ll play in a jamboree this weekend at San Marin before hosting Petaluma next Saturday. A Sonoma/Marin showcase tournament is also scheduled for the end of the season in late October.

Rancho Cotate junior Emilee Greiner-Hicks, who was voted the team’s defensive captain, called Wednesday night’s game “amazing.”

She’s a self-described football lover and joined the team because she wanted to try something new. She has a background in softball and only has experience playing football with her family on Thanksgiving or with her brother, who plays for Rancho Cotate.

Junior Cali Figoni, the team’s offensive captain, has a similar story. A longtime softball player who dabbled in football with her family on holidays, she thought it’d be a fun opportunity to play a new sport with her friends.

“I was definitely nervous to begin with,” she said of Wednesday’s game, “but I think it went really well.”

Both players have loved the experience so far.

“We were all super proud that we get to be the first girls flag football team for Rancho in the first year ever in Sonoma County,” Greiner-Hicks said. “It’s a milestone for girls and I’m really proud to be a part of it.”

You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @JustGusPD.