Flag football is joining the ranks of amazing clubs Lakeland Regional High School has to offer. With its inception this year, the club is open to girls in all grades, and since flag football is considered a club at Lakeland, athletes can participate in it while doing another sport.

The LRHS flag football team will be competing against neighboring schools such as Wayne Valley, Montville, West Milford, Wayne Hills, Jefferson and Ridgewood.

Mr. Jared Luciani, physical education teacher, coach, and flag football advisor at LRHS, spoke with The Ledger on how the season will work. He mentioned how his goals for the upcoming season are to “establish a culture that we want all of our teams to have for years to come.” With that, he wants to develop a playbook for both offense and defense. Mr. Luciani gave advice for those starting flag football, saying, “I would advise them to watch as much of the game as possible to have a better understanding of the rules and strategy.”

Tashae Sanford, junior, joined flag football for the Spring 2024 season. Sanford mentioned how she’s eager to start the season, saying she’s excited to “work with the team and make new friends.”

For those who don’t know, flag football is a modified version of American football. The difference is there’s no tackling. Instead, players remove flags from their opponents which are attached to their waistbands. This stops the person in possession of the ball and can help gain or lose points. Overall, flag football is fun and involves less contact compared to traditional football.

In the end, flag football is a solid program to join LRHS. The team is destined for success with their quality coach and players. It is with confidence that we report that flag football will continue the same tradition of excellence and success that the other programs at Lakeland do.