The Atherton girls flag football team recently started about 2 weeks ago. The Ravens have played in 2 games so far against Male (10/15) and against Grace James (10/22).

Bella Lieras (11) is one of the captains and wide receiver for the Ravens. When Lieras realized Atherton didn’t have a team, she decided to start one after seeing lots of interest around flag football.

She explains how this year’s team is the building block for next year’s team. “I feel like each year we are going to keep getting better and better. Next year I see us having great uniforms and just being more prepared overall.”

The girls had a late start to the season, starting more than 2 months late, because of this the team is focusing on fundamentals, and taking each practice day by day.

Natalie Powell (10) describes the hardships they went through in the first game. “ It was very stressful, we got out there and it was different from anything I’d done before.” Powell is an offensive player and was one of the first people to touch the field.

“ It was really just a learning experience, and since we only had 2 practices before we learned more about how the game actually works,” says Powell.

Halen Russ (12) is the other captain and a defensive player for the Ravens. Halen talks about her experiences in their 2nd game and expresses how much the defense improved from the first game.

“During the game we were cold, angry, and tired. But most of all we were ready to go out there and be a dog. And that’s exactly what the defense did.” Russ explains.

The Ravens faced a tough start, losing their first game against Male 56-0. However they showed improvement in the second matchup against Grace James, falling 22-6. Valentina Arroyo scored the teams first touchdown, while Kelissa Jones scored an impressive pick on the defensive end.

Next up, the Ravens have their 3rd match against Central High School on 10/28. Come out to Iroquois High School at 8:00 pm to show your support.