Interest in a planned football intramural program for Huntington High School girls is soaring. As of today, more than 20 young ladies have stepped forward and indicated they intend to participate.
The Blue Devils are developing an intramural flag football program for girls at both the high school and Finley. The hope is that Huntington will have enough interest to enter a team into next year’s Section XI flag football league.
In flag football, rather than tackling a runner, the defensive team removes a flag attached by Velcro to a belt around a player’s waist. Contact between players is generally not permitted. Flags are “ripped” or “torn” off the belts by the defense.
Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky has thrown his support behind the initiative. Veteran Long Island football coach and Huntington High School physical education teacher Christopher Taylor has been talking up the intramural program with classes and has told athletic department officials of the significant interest that has been generated.
The plan is for several weeks of one hour sessions. Perhaps twice a week immediately after school in early March on the turf athletic field. If it is too cold on any specific day, the gym will be utilized.
The sessions will include lessons in skills, positions, strategies and rules. “If we do move forward with a team, we want to be as competitive as possible while maintaining a fun atmosphere,” Taylor said.
Section XI officials have said that establishing girls’ flag football as a varsity level sport is within the realm of the possible. Should that happen, the Blue Devils hope to field a team.
Interested? Seek out Mr. Taylor or send him a message at ctaylor@hufsd.edu.
A similar intramural program is planned at J. Taylor Finley Middle School where it is being spearheaded by physical education teachers Jordan Ioviero (jioviero@hufsd.edu) and Marissa Bergmann (mbergmann@hufsd.edu).