In one of their first games following the start of the 23/24 school year, CdM’s Girls Flag Football team showed the Edison Chargers the energy they will bring to the Sea King Field next Monday (September 18) at their first BOTB as a CIF team.
3:00pm
A sunny day on campus (September 11), students fled home after a long start to the week. The halls were empty but for a few stragglers and the quad was soundless as the sun peeked from behind white clouds. The northeastern wing of campus housed athletes from soccer to tennis, lifting and running through drills at the command of their coaches.
3:05pm
A trail of adults wove through the crowd holding beach loungers and wearing CdM attire. They made their way toward an open set of gate doors which lead to a field that lay between the CdM Baseball and Soccer fields. ASB members welcome families as they open up their loungers and sit on the edge of the push green grass. The time was 3:05 now and in 10 minutes the game would begin. Families from both teams occupied each side of the field though CdM Ballcaps, tan-colored ASB shirts, and CdM sweatshirts dotted the crowd in inspiring school spirit.
3:15pm
The game began in a flash, one moment the team stood in position at the field, the next, booming voices announced the clock was running.
3:30pm
Parents stood, arms crossed –in deep focus as the number 13 (Alexa Rokos) wove between greedy hands and darted past bodies, each ready to steal the ball– before erupting in boisterous cheers and proud claps. When the teams weren’t so lucky, and Edison’s cheers could be heard across the field, they, alongside ASB’s Spirit Committee, were ready to step in with words of encouragement and cheers to boost morale.
3:32pm
ASB began handing out pom poms and cookies to the calming crowd as the teams stepped off the field to huddle with their coach. Noise began to fill the field when the girls lacrosse team, recently released from practice, and a few members of the Boys Football team, sat alongside families to cheer their peers and friends on. Erica Wein, noticing them from the field, notes that it was the “ highlight from…Monday’s game”. And eagerly adds that “It was the most students that have come out to support this season”.
The sky grew cloudy then, and large drops of water descended onto the field and its occupants and the game resumed and the flag football varsity team jogged back onto the grassy field. By then the rain came down faster, but unperturbed the athletes ( Girls Lacrosse and Boys Football) remained seated and watching them game as pass after pass was successfully executed, and waved their pom poms in support and excitement for the win to come.
4:10pm
While Edison managed to get in a touchdown before the time was over, the girls brought home a victory- mirroring their last game against Edison. The 22-6 victory boosted the team’s morale for next week’s upcoming BOTB game against Harbor High School, their first as a CIF team. Team captain Wein assures the team has “been working really hard at practice” working to “ play to the best of [their] abilities against Harbor on Monday”. Player, Alexa Rokos shares “ it’s really exciting to see how it’s grown and it’s exciting to know that [she and her team] started something for the future”.
Having come a long way from what started as a conversation and club to now a CIF team, these sea queens have a lot in store this year on and off the field.