One Giant Leap for Womankind
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
Brewster Bounds Farthest in Inaugural Girls’ Flag Football Campaign
By Ray Gallagher, Examiner Sports Editor @Directrays
Like most pilot programs, Section 1 wasn’t certain the notion of girls’ flag football would get off the cutting room floor when the inaugural 2022 season began back in early April as Somers High hosted the kickoff party and several NY Giants were on hand to promote the event, including QB Daniel Jones and LB Blake Martinez. Heck, everyone doubted whether the substance could generate enough interest and whether or not nine teams from Section 1 could finish the season, much less get to a championship setting.
But girls rarely do anything half-assed when it comes to competition; girls are gonna girl #ThankGod! And that’s exactly what they did at places like Somers, Peekskill, Lakeland, Panas, Mahopac and mighty Brewster, which recently capped an undefeated 11-0 season with a 12-2 sectional title win over Scarsdale at Mahopac High.
The young ladies of Northern Westchester and Putnam counties were trailblazers in this endeavor, literally taking the ball and running with it, much like they did in six other sections across NYS. To those of you that put the flags on, ran your routes and slung the pigskin; our caps are off to you #Bravo!
Brewster’s championship win over Scarsdale was a very tight defensive battle from start to finish, but Brewster was able to make a few more plays on both sides of the ball in order to make history. The Bears struck first when talented junior QB Bre Washington found senior TE Grace “Gronk” Galgano for a 20-yard TD strike to take an early 6-0 lead.
“Our team was led by our captain and QB, Bre Washington,” Bears Coach Matt Cunningham said. “Bre is a dynamic athlete that was the catalyst to our success.”
And Galgano, a two-time All-Section hooper by trade, came off the hardwood after setting new Brewster standards for both scoring and rebounding and played football like future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski, according to Assistant Coach Mike Castaldo.
“Grace was our Gronk,” he said.
With about 12 minutes left in the game, Brewster senior Fiona Dodd made the first of her two interceptions to give the Bears great field position. Washington would then spot freshman Kiley Brooks on a 20-yard TD strike, giving the Bears some breathing room at 12-2. Dodd and fellow freshman Ava Fagin would provide a glimpse of the future with back-to-back interceptions to seal the deal and procure the first-ever girls’ flag football Section 1 title.
Coach Cunningham said the season was a huge success for all involved.
“The competitiveness was at a high level and really increased as the season went along,” he said. “The credit for our tremendous season goes to the girls who committed themselves to learning the game and working hard each day.”
That went on all across the section where skill sets were ramped up with each passing game and practice. Video clips began to emerge on Twitter, the ladies decked out in eye black, going for 50-yard touchdowns like Mahopac WR Lauren Beberman – another All-Section hooper – did against Lakeland. Rivalries — like Somers vs. Mahopac – were born. Peekskill joined the party and the pilot program popped in Year 1.
Castaldo credits Brewster’s success to its defense, which was unwavering in the face of new challenges. “The team bought into how important it was to grab flags and not give up big plays. This was an unbelievable season. I’m so happy for the girls for everything they accomplished.”
“Seinfeld” was originally one of the lowest-testing pilots in NBC history, and how’d that turn out? Section 1’s launch of flag football was one giant leap for womankind…
If you had 12th-seeded Section 1 Class A champion Somers going further in the NYSPHSAA baseball tournament than any Tuskers team previously, then perhaps you should be wagering more than the occasional stake. Yeah, most pundits jumped on top-seeded Walter Panas – with its five DI-bound studs – to make a move and win the first sectional title in school history #GuiltyAsCharged. Instead, the four-time Section 1 champion Tuskers emerged from a 3-6 start to go further than any Somers team before, knocking off once-beaten Section 9 champion Cornwall, 2-0, in the opening round of the state tourney before the Tusker trumpets were silenced at Dutchess Stadium by the same group of Maine-Endwell hardballers that won the national Little League World Series back in 2016, just the third team in state history to do so.
Point being: Somers didn’t lose to a pack of slouches, and they were the last team standing from the Northern Westchester/Putnam County region in my 34th year of covering the locals #WhatARun.
I need a teeny-weeny bit of a break before I jump back in the pool again #Peace!
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
Visit Ray’s author bio page for more details. Also read Ray’s archived work here and his Direct Rays column here.
