Story and Photos By Noel Smith
Aptos is a hotbed of sports no matter the age or gender. The latest team to make a mark on the national level is the Girls Division D NFL Flag Football Team from Aptos. The team won the Regional Championship and will be playing in the 13-14 girls division National Championship Tournament to be held in conjunction with Super Bowl week in San Francisco. This is a big deal! They will be wearing uniforms with the 49er logo in competition with seven other teams in their division.
Coach Frank Galvan and his team of girls had an interesting season. All the other teams in the Central Coast Flag Football League were boys teams. When they went to the regional tournament, one can only speculate that playing boys must have helped them, along with good coaching, raise their game when competing against other girls resulting in the championship. The NFL FLAG regional tournament at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center on October 27, 2015 had teams representing four states competing for the NFL FLAG Championships during Super Bowl week. Boys and girls ages 9 to 14 represented leagues in California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada.
The team, known at that time as the Bengals from Aptos, won the 13-14 girls division title on October 27, 2015. Ruby Galvan said, “After playing all those boys it seemed almost easy.” Abby Pardue added, “It seems like we’ve been waiting forever!” The Aptos team roster for the NFL Nationals includes: Coach Frank Galvan, Camila Barranco, Galilea Carrillo, Ananiah Chavez, Ruby Galvan, Gabriele Giuffre, Ashley Monique Haduca, Gianna Anjelica Mosqueda, Pamela Ortiz, and Abby Pardue.
Young athletes across the United States competed for the opportunity to play in the NFL FLAG Championships. The event took place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on Sunday, Jan. 31 with the championship games showcasing the following night at NFL Experience in the Moscone convention center. Teams were put up Saturday at the Marriot on Union Square — NFL-provided hotel accommodations. NFL Films and Nickelodeon will be recording the games and producing an NFL FLAG show that will air on Nickelodeon, Saturday February 6 at 3 p.m. PST.
For those that are not familiar with the rules of official flag football, here are a few:
Games have two 20-minute halves and a 5-minute halftime break. The field dimensions are 30 yards by 60 yards with a midfield line and with 10-yard end zones.
The offensive team takes possession at its 10-yard line and has four (4) plays to cross midfield. If a team crosses midfield, they have four (4) plays to score a touchdown. Failing to score, the ball changes possession and the other team starts its drive on its own 10-yard line. If the offensive team fails to cross midfield, possession of the ball changes and the opposition starts its drive from its own 10-yard line. All possession changes, except interceptions, start on the offense’s 10-yard line.
Scoring: Touchdown: 6 points; PAT (Point After Touchdown): 1 point (2-yard line) or 2 points (5-yard line); Safety: 2 points.