by Maya Dorsam ‘27 and Leslie Majkrzak ‘27

Flag football began its inaugural season in MCPS during the 2024-25 school year, and it has continued to expand ever since. This fall, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) officially sanctioned girls flag football as a varsity state-championship sport. The county also added a JV team to each high school program, reflecting the growing interest in the sport over the last few years.

Sherwood has proven to be dominant since the sport’s debut, led by Coach Caitlin Thompson and Coach Rob Hiller. The duo continues to work closely on each of the teams, with Thompson running the offense and Hiller handling the defense. 

The team’s roster has remained reliable over the last few years, as many girls have returned each season and stepped into bigger leadership roles. This season, nine of the 15 varsity players are seniors. 

After an unexpected loss versus Blake 21-13 on senior night, the Warriors have turned things around. “We are focusing on in-game adjustments as well as fundamentals. We kept the game close and competitive, so small but significant adjustments are our priority,” said senior safety and wide receiver Callie Kent.

With strong players on both sides of the ball, the team is 8-2 and on track for a deep playoff run. Their first goal is to compete in the regional final. Last year, the team fell short in the second round against Baltimore Polytechnic Institute following an injury to their starting quarterback which proved to be a huge blow to the offense. 

This season, senior Cara Farr is fully recovered and has improved her throwing accuracy significantly, anchoring the offense as quarterback for her second year straight. She is backed by strong receivers sophomore Ella Crichton, senior Melanie Payne, and senior Courtney Payne. Melanie currently leads the team in touchdown receptions with six, while Crichton creates an offensive threat in the middle of the field. On defense, the Payne twins and Kent take the lead in flag pulls and interceptions. Freshman Maddie Boone is a new addition to the team, extremely effective at defending pass plays.

This season, a new element of traditional football was added to the game, namely punting, creating a chance for girls to get involved on special teams. This recent change has forced teams to make adjustments. Sherwood has adopted this fresh component with open arms, using their speed and  athleticism to capitalize on opposing teams’ punts. “I really enjoy it as it allows both our offense and defense another chance to control the game, and it’s been fun to learn how to strategize receiving and kicking,” said Kent. For the Warriors, senior Chloe LaRoche has taken on the role of punter, consistently flipping the field to set the defense up for success. She is currently averaging a net yardage of more than 30 yards. 

Hopes remain high for the future, especially after the team beat their rival Damascus for the first time in a 12-7 thriller on Wednesday, September 30. “Our defense played really well that game, with multiple interceptions and sacks, and holding Damascus to 7 points was a huge piece of our win,” said Kent. “Offensively, Cara Farr threw two touchdowns to Melanie Payne, which kept us ahead and gave us momentum at the end of the game. This was a huge part of our season and really brought us together as a team.”

Their first playoff game is this Saturday, where they are seeded first and will compete for a state title in the 3A-2A West division among 44 other schools.