The inaugural season of girls flag football is already underway across the ILH and other leagues throughout the state. On Tuesday, it’s the OIA’s turn to make history as the league officially kicks off regular-season play with 12 games on the schedule.
Among the trailblazing programs is Kalani High School, which will take the field against Kalaheo in a 6 p.m. matchup at Kaiser High School in Hawaii Kai.
Despite a roster made up almost entirely of newcomers to the sport, the Falcons are entering the season with confidence, thanks in part to preseason scrimmages that helped lay a foundation for the team.
“I have some expectations for our girls, especially with our aggressiveness coming out of the scrimmages,” said Kalani sophomore Brooke-Lynn Kahalewai. “We’ve gotten a clearer understanding of how the games are going to go and how serious people are going to take it. Hopefully we get some wins this Tuesday, but more than anything, we just want the girls to have fun and stay safe on the field.”
Head coach Bronson Alo praised the team’s rapid growth since the first day of practice.
“For us here at Kalani, it’s been a night-and-day difference,” Alo said. “A lot of our girls have never played flag football, so we really started from scratch—teaching positions, setting up the foundation. But now we’re running pretty flawlessly. There’s a huge difference from where we were to where we are today.”
Kalani sophomore Ariah Bonifacio-Faleao echoed the sense of pride in the team’s progress and the broader significance of the sport’s debut.
“We’ve improved a lot since the beginning, and I’m really proud of each and every one of us,” she said. “It’s not about proving we’re the best. We just want to show that girls can play a sport we’ve seen mostly boys play for so many years.”
OIA Opening Day schedule:
Kalaheo vs. Kalani, 6pm at Kaiser High School
Dreamhouse vs. Kapolei, 6pm at Waianae High School
Pearl City vs. Mililani, 6pm at Aiea High School
Waipahu vs. Campbell, 6pm at Radford High School
Farrington vs. Anuenue, 6pm at Castle High School
Kaimuki vs. McKinley,m 6pm at Roosevelt High School
Kahuku at Castle, 7:30pm
Kailua at Kaiser, 7:30pm
Waialua at Radford, 7:30pm
Nanakuli at Waianae, 7:30pm
Leilehua at Aiea, 7:30pm
Moanalua at Roosevelt, 7:30pm