By any metric, the inaugural season for the Los Gatos High School girls flag football team was a rousing success. The Wildcats went 24-2 overall and 8-1 in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, sharing the championship with Milpitas and Santa Clara. Los Gatos would’ve finished as outright SCVAL champions but lost to Milpitas 34-28 in the season-finale on Oct. 23.
Two days later, the players had to return their jerseys, a moment coach Jaye Reinman was anticipating with great joy.
“Just the thought of being able to see the players and their smiling faces again, I can’t wait,” he said.
Los Gatos’ season was memorable in many ways, starting with the lively practices.
“The relationship and camaraderie we built on the field with joking, laughing and dancing to music at practice everyday was priceless,” Reinman said. “We created this little family and I wanted all of us to be tight-knitted and having fun. That’s kind of the culture that we built here.”
Los Gatos had two premier quarterbacks in senior Ella Rabitz and freshman Jenna Webb. Due to fewer numbers–flag football is 7-on-7–the quarterback position takes on greater significance, compared to the traditional 11-on-11 game.
“The plays are extremely fast and that makes it even harder to run an offense,” Reinman said. “We were fortunate to have two good QBs in Ella and Jenna. Your QB in flag football has to be intelligent; they have to be athletic; they have to read the field; they need a strong arm and they have to be able to avoid the rush.”
Los Gatos produced some impressive victories, including back-to-back wins over St. Ignatius and St. Francis by identical 7-6 scores in early September. Reinman praised the team’s defense for its relentlessness and determination.
“Those two games, that was a salute to our defense, because they won us the game,” he said. “They played tight, they weren’t letting them score. They were creating turnovers, and both of those games were nail biters. They were incredible games to be a part of.”
Freshman sensation Paige Purcell–a linebacker, halfback and receiver–was one of several players who played both ways. Senior Alex Hanson was spectacular, both at receiver and free safety.
“We called Alex the Steam Train because she was dominant on both sides of the ball,” Reinman said. “She is really physical, has good hands and defenses can’t stop her. She goes deep, can jump over people, makes hard, contested catches and is extremely fast. She was such a dominant force that most teams double- and sometimes even triple-covered her.”
Hanson and fellow senior safety Ruby Kruse provided blanket coverage in the secondary.
“Alex and Ruby were essentially a no fly zone,” Reinman said. “People cannot throw deep with those two back there. Ruby was one of the best free safeties to play the game because she’s really intelligent and has a nose for the ball. She knows where needs to be.”
Purcell and senior linebacker Heaven Lombardi made it nearly impossible for teams to run on Los Gatos.
“Heaven and Paige are very fast, very intuitive and masters at pulling the flag,” Reinman said. “Most people could not run on us, and if they did try, they would get stopped. Heaven kept everything in front of her and could go east-west, north-south with the best of them.”
Sophomore Sophie Riese played both ways and was particularly effective at receiver, totaling huge chunks of yardage after the catch. Junior Lola Cuevas made a tremendous impact at center, one of the underrated positions in football.
Cuevas initially wanted to play running back or receiver, but Reinman convinced her on the importance of playing center.
“People didn’t understand the center position so I had to really sell Lola on that,” Reinman said. “I said one of our best players needs to be a center and she is as sure-handed as you can find. She was a very valuable piece for us.”
Juniors Isabella Langer and Kloe Adams stifled offenses with their ability to pull flags against anyone in their vicinity. Senior Sara Clay-Harrison showed tremendous growth in every facet of the game.
“Where she started the season and where she ended has not gone unnoticed,” Reinman said.
Scarlett Roberts and Hanna Behnami made contributions offensively, and Wylloh Roberts made plays on both sides of the ball. Even though Megan Hastings, Cameron Lui, Zoe Pandipati and Olivia Dang rarely played, they found a way to make an impact.
“These girls weren’t…our main starters, but they showed up to every practice,” Reinman said. “They always had a positive attitude and always cheered on the team. Having those players around was beneficial because they built up the morale of the team. Good people, good teammates, and the team would not have been the same without them.”
Track standout Emma Arbitaylo made an indelible impression upon Reinman, displaying an intense desire to improve.
“Emma had never played football at all, but she would come in everyday asking me how to get better,” Reinman said. “By the end of the year, she was probably one of our best rushers on the team and our superstar on jet sweeps. Her drive and eagerness was infectious and it was a privilege to have her on the team.”
Bridget Moore, Megan Hastings, Lucy Panicacci and Emery Curtis rounded out the team’s roster. Due to the diligent scheduling work of Reinman and LGHS Athletic Director Ken Perrotti, the Wildcats were the only team in the CCS to play 26 games, the maximum number of contests allowed.
Still on Cloud Nine, Reinman is already doing his best to get flag football conditioning sessions implemented in the spring.
“If we can get in even earlier next year, that will make us that much better,” he said. “The next season will come up fast, but I’m ready. I’m getting with my coaches and we’ll be able to give these girls everything we have–that’s a promise.”
