Elwood's John Glenn HS Debuts Inaugural Varsity Flag Football Team

ELWOOD, NY — John H. Glenn High School has officially launched its inaugural varsity flag football team, and it is off to a roaring start, the Elwood School District announced.

The team is led by captains Molly Brigmati, Christina Munch and Nicole Savitsky. Savitsky and class of 2024 graduate Lauren LaMena had approached Athletic Director Dave Shanahan in January 2023 to propose that the school start a flag football team. In 2024, it became an intramural sport.

This year, a varsity team of 21 girls was formed, coached by Craig Ash, for a 16-game season.

"It felt amazing to finally get on the field and know because of us, flag football was brought here for the first time," Savitsky said in a news release.

The Knights defeated East Hampton by a score of 27-6 in its very first game on March 26.

"It’s a first-year program for everyone, and not many people knew anything about football, so it was a great opportunity to learn a different sport and build the team," Munch said.

Brigmati said the captains worked as a team in pursuit of having its questions answered, which was "good for us," she stated.

"What I told the girls is, as a first-year program, I really just want to just make the playoffs," Ash said. "It’s a long season, but we will just take it day by day and keep getting better."

Shanahan said that more important than winning a game is developing life skills.

"...Working hard, trying something new and stepping outside your comfort zone, and they really have
embraced that," Shanahan said. "We are so proud from an administrative and teaching standpoint. Coach Ash has done an outstanding job bringing the girls together around him, working them hard, but having fun at the same time. I appreciate the parents for all of their support as well. They really came to the forefront and gave a great push in a positive manner to help the district get the sport of flag football."