The athletic program at Green Hope High School has seen an exciting recent addition: the Girls’ Varsity Flag Football team. As flag football gains momentum across the country, especially at the high school level, Green Hope has embraced the sport, providing a new component to the athletics program and fostering strong team culture among its female student athletes.
The Falcons launched the program as a fall sport. Headed by Coach Erica Grunder, with assistance from Coach Nathaniel Denton, the team quickly established itself as a dedicated and competitive team.
With the sport being relatively new to the school, the coaching staff focused on building fundamentals and fostering team chemistry. Players, many of whom were new to flag football, found an exciting new challenge and a chance to participate in a new and thrilling sport.
Their current record this season is 11-9, with many of the players bringing exceptional skills to the team. Rachael Baldyga (‘26) (a captain) has been a dual threat, contributing as both a quarterback and receiver. Her leadership and performance on the field have been crucial in the team’s early success. Sam Cowen (‘28) has also stepped up, contributing significantly with multiple passing and receiving touchdowns.
Many of the players first decided to join the team for fun and were not focused on the competitive aspect of the sport. Rachael Baldyga explains what first got her to join the team, “I’ve always liked football, and I’ve always played in the pool with my dad. Once I heard about a team starting at Green Hope, I thought it would be fun to try out.”
The Flag football team has built a close friendship and cohesive community as well. Mia Wilcocks (‘26) explains how well the team has been working together this season, “The team chemistry is actually really strong. We’ve built really good friendships with each other.” Baldyga adds, “Our chemistry is pretty close-knit, I’d say a lot of us play sports together outside of flag football, so we’ve known each other, and I think that made it easy for us to bond.”
During the game against Apex High School, Green Hope won 13-7. It was a hard-fought game, with the defense working to hold their ground. Along with securing a win, one of the team’s most hard-working and dedicated players, Kate Bell (‘27), received a sportsmanship award. In game two, the team was able to pull off a 28-12 victory against Green Level. The offense had the crowd on their feet throughout the game. Baldyga was able to secure the win after she threw a 60 yard touchdown to Sophomore Ainsley Campbell (‘28).
Since these two games, the Falcons have been building a close group of friends who are dedicated to making the flag football team worth watching. From strong offensive plays to tough defense, this team shows determination every game. Baldyga also adds emphasis on the expectations the team had going into this season. “I would say since we started out so strongly
last year, and it being our first year, we had really high expectations for this year. There’s also a lot more pressure; last year it was just for fun, while this year has been more serious.”
As the Falcons advance into the season, they continue to build a community within the team centered around dedication and teamwork. Green Hope’s flag football team is paving the way for female athletes as they make a lasting impact as a new program in the athletic department.
