BY Fatima Faisal, Cordell Johnson, Ayana Bhatnagar, Nash Austin Reyes, and Daniel Gabriel Tulao
History is being made at James Logan High School as the newly founded Girls’ Flag Football team takes the field for the first time. Launched this school year, the team represents a bold new chapter in Logan athletics—one that celebrates progress, passion, and the growing presence of women in competitive sports. Together, these driven athletes have united to build a winning legacy and showcase their talent in one of the fastest-rising sports today.
For the past three years, California schools have had a Girls’ Flag Football division, but its introduction at Logan this year marks an exciting new addition to the school’s athletic landscape. Coach Sowell explained, “Yeah, the two middle schools, Chavez and IVC, had a team last year. I coached the IVC team, and we ended up winning championships. And then this is the third year that California schools have had girls fighting football. So we’re a little bit behind the other high schools that we’ve played so far. This is our first year at Logan.” Despite this, they’re already very successful. “We already have the all-time wins record right now. So every win we just hit, we add to that. But I mean, it feels good to be starting something new,” Sowell says.
Logan’s Girls’ Flag Football team has been working hard this season. Their hard work has been shown by just looking at the results. The team is 15-1 thus far. Along with the players’ passion and effort, a big part of this team’s success is thanks to the coaching. Olivia Stewart, a freshman on the JLHS varsity flag football team, played under Coach John Sowell during her 8th-grade year at Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School. This year, Coach Sowell is back coaching flag football, but this time for James Logan. When asked if the coaching staff was a reason for her return, “Mr. Coach Sowell, is what we call him sometimes. He is my favorite coach I’ve had so far. He’s very clear and understanding. I love his coaching style.”
Despite being a new team, the James Logan Girls’ Flag Football team is off to a strong start with great chemistry and drive. Coach Sowell said, “They are a great, great bunch of girls. Their attitude and effort was something that we preached from day one, that we weren’t going to take girls with a poor attitude. We weren’t going to take girls that didn’t want to work hard. And so far, they’ve all been working really hard. Their attitudes are great.”
Although some players were nervous, they still managed to push through and pull out the win. “Of course, I was definitely nervous. You know, like the routes and, you know, Coach Donnie, he loves to make a lot of plays,” says wide receiver Thyda Tep.
High hopes and expectations are set for the girls’ futures. “Just continue to compete and get better right now, this year, we have expectations of just getting better every day, whether it’s practice or a game, and then just see where that takes us when it comes to wins and losses,” says Sowell.
Being a newly formed team, it is definitely going to be an uphill battle for the Girls’ Flag Football team. Despite this, they have played hard in each game and have come a long way, representing James Logan with nothing but excellence. Coach Sowell said, “[We’re] just super proud of the girls and the hard work that they’re doing. It’s exciting. I think they’re super skilled and they’re awesome to watch. I feel like everyone’s eyes will be open to how talented, how hard they work, and how much they did throughout the season. I don’t think anybody’s disappointed, coming to watch them play.”
