Pāhoa’s flag football team builds its second-year program with more players, drive, skill

As the clouds rolled into Pāhoa in the late afternoon, the Daggers flag football team ran drills and practiced for the last two games of the season.

For the last two springs, girls have taken to the field each weekday at Pāhoa District Park to learn the nuances of flag football, practice routes and plays, and bond as a team. Since their first season, the team has grown in size and experience.

“I joined the team as a freshman and really did not know what to expect,” sophomore Khaylee Malendres said. “I don’t play many sports, so I didn’t expect to still be in it, but I fell in love with it, so much so that I played in the off-season on a club team, too.”

In August 2024, the Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association and the Hawai‘i State Department of Education teamed up with the National Football League, the Seattle Seahawks and Nike, among other private contributors, to make high school girls flag football a reality.

Starting in the spring of 2025, all public high schools could offer varsity girls flag football, making Hawai‘i the 12th state in the country to sanction it as a high school sport.

The Big Island Interscholastic Federation had 12 schools compete in the first season, which increased to 14 this year. Participating schools include: Hawaiʻi Preparatory, Hilo, Honokaʻa, Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi, Kanu, Kaʻū, Keaʻau, Kealakehe, Kohala, Konawaena, Laupāhoehoe, Pāhoa, Parker and Waiākea.

“We didn’t have too many girls try out our first season,” Daggers Head Coach Lloyd Aranaydo said. “Many of them didn’t know much about the sport at all.

“I loved it though because the girls that did make the team gave so much of their attention to learn about the sport. It is becoming a more popular thing now, too, with college teams and club teams. Our returnees showed so much improvement by the time they came back for this season.”

Flag football is a fast-paced, non-contact passing game played with seven players per side on an 80-yard field that is 40 yards wide. Teams play 12- to 15-minute halves, emphasizing passing routes, two-hand touch or flag-pulling, and a seven-second maximum passing time.

Offensive positions include a quarterback, a center who can go out for passes, and five receivers. There are no offensive or defensive linemen. No blocking and running plays are allowed.

“The game is non-contact, but there can be contact, especially when two girls are going for the ball,” Aranaydo said. “The team is usually shy in the beginning of the season, but then you see them get into a completely different head space on the field. They are competitive and work hard to do well on the field.”

While Pāhoa currently is 0-4, all the coaches are working to grow the program from the ground up and help the younger players develop their skills over the next two years.

“A majority of the team are freshmen and sophomores who have told us that they are planning to return, which is exciting and helps us know that we are growing something special here,” Daggers Assistant Coach Amber Nathaniel said.

Teysia Tai, one of Pāhoa’s best basketball players, decided to join the team as a senior this year to try something new and get one more sport in before graduating in May.

“I think Pāhoa has built a strong program in such little time,” Tai said. “I really wish this was something I could have done all four years. The team is the best part for me, because they just make the sport more fun. Being able to play a form of football as a girl, too, is also really fun for me.”

Aranaydo, who also coaches boys’ football in the fall, has enjoyed watching the team work together while uplifting each other’s individual skills.

“Seeing the girls grow is one of the best parts of this job,” Aranaydo said. “It’s different than football because the girls bond as a team and grow a sisterhood. They all have strengths, and they like to show their teammates off. They aren’t selfish in the sport at all.”

Several girls joined the sport spontaneously and now plan to play in the off-season because they have enjoyed it so much. There are club teams for high school-aged girls, including the Hilo Storm, which offers flag football for girls 10 years old and up, 12 years old and up, and 14 years old and up.

“A good friend of mine joined, but then she decided to stop playing, but I have stuck with it,” said Kuʻuleai Andrian. “I’ve tried a lot of sports, and this has been the only one to stick.”

Anela Lee added: “I kind of got talked into doing it my freshman year as well. I joined for the fun and fell in love with it. I plan to come back until I graduate.”

The Daggers also have let girls from the nearby private school, Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts and Science, try out and join the team.

“A lot of us come from different backgrounds,” Lily Potter said. “There are some who have played sports all their life and some that are just starting out. What is cool about everyone is that the energy is great on and off the field. If you are out there, you have your teammates cheering you on from the sidelines. If you are on the sidelines, it is exciting to cheer for your teammates.”

Aranaydo said: “This has been a positive season, and I’m excited to have more girls on the team next year and to keep growing the program. It is exciting to see the sport grow in popularity every year, and I hope that brings more people to try out next season.”

Men’s and women’s flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

According to the Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association, Hawaiʻi-native and NFL quarterback Marcus Mariota’s nonprofit, Motiv8 Foundation, has pledged funding to support girls’ flag football in Hawaiʻi.

“For year two and beyond, we are going to enlist the support of our friends in the legislature, and hopefully they will jump on board, as I am confident that they will to ensure that flag football is here for many years to come,” said Keith Amemiya, chair of the Governor’s Sports Task Force.

Pāhoa will play its final two games at Waiākea High School in Hilo this Saturday against Laupāhoehoe and Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi. The teams will play the games as long as there is no thunder or lightning.