Flag football popularity soars both globally and in Niwot

Flag football will make its Olympic debut in 2028 with both men's and women's divisions competing in Los Angeles for gold. Much closer to home, a local youth co-ed flag football team is excelling by showcasing how popular and exciting this sport has become.

The Carolina Panthers are an all 7th grade co-ed team competing in the NoCo 5v5 Flag Football League in the 7th/8th grade division. Games are played all over the northern front range. The majority of teams in the league are male-only, but several teams this season boast female athletes as well, a testament to how fast the sport is growing for women.

The Panthers team consists of five female and four male players from area middle schools including Altona, Westview, Flagstaff Academy, Mead and Coal Ridge.

Head Coach Gabe Amaya can't say enough about how well this team has come together. He began coaching his son Avery in flag football over 10 years ago. Avery is now on the Longmont High School varsity football team.

Gabe Amaya is a Niwot High School alumnus (Class of '99) and played quarterback for the Cougars under former coach Paul "Tiny" Koehler. He found flag football to be a great way to get kids into football at a younger age, and has incorporated legitimate high school passing and rushing routes and solid football fundamentals into his playbook. Amaya found that successfully running these plays has allowed his teams to succeed even with new players each season and with teams that may not always be the fastest or strongest.

Four years ago, Amaya's daughter Brooke begged to play flag football too, so he began coaching a co-ed team through Twin Peaks Youth Sports in 2019, and then with Niwot Youth Sports in 2021. Over the past few years, that team has continued to add several female players and is now a bona fide co-ed team with a winning record and players who love playing for him and with each other.

Most recently, the Panthers won the 7/8th grade division of the inaugural NYS/Gridiron flag football tournament held at Niwot High School on Sept 28-29. The Panthers were the only female-led co-ed team in the tournament.

Brooke Amaya is the team's quarterback and loves the fact that several female players have joined her on the team. She said, "I think co-ed sports help female athletes to come out of their shells and compete against great talent which only ups their game."

She is also super proud of playing for her dad and says she is "so fortunate that I have something in common with my dad. Football is something we get to do together, which makes me lucky to be his daughter."

Highlights this season have included a rare blitzing pick-6, a play where defense pass rusher Annelise Lee blitzed the opposing team's quarterback, batted the ball out of the air as soon as he threw it under pressure, and caught it to run it back for a Panther touchdown. Brooke Amaya connected on several 30+ yard passes to wide receiver Addie Chicarelli with Chicarelli going up and over several opponents to grab the pass and score.

New addition to the team Jake Weaver has his own passing play named for him, called "Jake from State Farm," and has loved the camaraderie of the team. He said, "Playing on this team brings me a lot of happiness. Everyone is nice to each other and we have all become friends."

Dual position wide receiver/safeties Griff Gaddis and Grady Walker have enjoyed having Brooke Amaya as their quarterback. Walker is excited at the possibility of St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) starting a high school girls flag football team and said, "If the girls on our team stick together, they will be the team to beat in high school." Both Gaddis and Walker have had game winning touchdown catches in the corner of the end zone this year, with Brooke "throwing dimes" to them, said Walker.

One of Coach Amaya's goals is to bring girls' flag football to the St. Vrain Valley School District. CHSAA has officially sanctioned flag football as a fall sport for female athletes in Colorado. Sixty four teams are currently competing in both Class 4A and 5A divisions for a state championship title, but neither the Boulder Valley School District nor SVVSD has fielded a team.

Brynn Reeves, a seventh grader at Flagstaff Academy and the team's center and linebacker, is ready to organize their new team and recruit others by the time she enters high school. Reeves wants others to know that "[Flag] football is the best."

Any female athletes interested in high school flag football are encouraged to contact Coach Amaya or Jessica Walker with Niwot Youth Sports. Contact Walker at [email protected] or Coach Gabe Amaya at 720-548-7278.