WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) – A new varsity sport comes to Williams this month as the Yellowjackets become the first school in the county to field a girls flag football team.
Sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation in 2023, the sport is experiencing remarkable growth, currently encompassing nearly 25,000 players statewide.
The driving force behind getting a team in Williams was senior Cristal Che and several of her friends, whose persistence finally paid off this year.
“My friends and I kept talking to our principal Mr. Welcome about it and then we went to the Board and convinced them to let us have the sport,” Che explained adding that “We wanted more opportunities. There are scholarships for the sport now, so maybe someone who plays here will get that chance.”
Seventeen girls, many of whom have never played another sport in high school, have turned out and have been preparing for the upcoming season since conditioning began in July.
Coaching the squad is Mingy Altamirano, who admitted she has had to do some studying to get up to speed, then also enlisted the help of her brother, Alexis Velazquez, for some additional support.
“I’m learning the rules just like the girls,” said Altamirano. “I’ve been talking with other coaches to get an idea of what to expect and there is a lot to it, but these girls are all good students as well as being good athletes. Right now, our expectation is to continue to improve each game and be able to keep up with our opponents.”
Both Altamirano and Che say the squad “is excited but nervous” and that thus far the whole experience has been exceedingly positive.
Although they don’t have a dedicated league, the ‘Jackets will participate in two scrimmages and play five games, facing mostly teams from lager Sac-Joaquin Section schools.
Williams opens the season on Aug. 26 in Wheatland, then hosts Woodland on Aug. 31.