FLAG FOOTBALL: Catoosa takes unbeaten record into league championship game
· Yahoo Sports
CATOOSA — Five games. Five wins. Just 24 points allowed.
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A year after struggling through its inaugural season, Catoosa's girls flag football team has transformed itself into an unbeaten championship contender.
The Lady Indians [5-0] will face East Central in the Tulsa Public Schools Girls Flag Football League championship game at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday at Will Rogers, seeking to complete a perfect season against a program that has established itself among the league's strongest.
For coach Joe Brown, the turnaround began before Catoosa played its first game.
"These girls actually got up and practiced at 6:15 in the morning a couple of times early because it was football practice for me," Brown said. "They just had a different type of commitment."
That dedication has translated into a season in which Catoosa has relied on its defense while developing an increasingly productive offense. The Lady Indians have surrendered just 24 points in five games, an average of 4.8 per contest.
In one victory, Catoosa scored both of its touchdowns on interception returns in a 12-0 shutout.
"We really focused on pulling flags, and then we force teams to dink and dunk it down the field," Brown said. "We don't give up big plays. That's our whole mantra: Make them earn it. And those teams can't repeat that all the way down the field."
The defensive consistency has given the Lady Indians opportunities to win even when their offense has struggled.
However, Brown said they have made considerable progress on that side of the ball as well.
"We're getting big plays. We're moving the ball," he said. "They're starting to figure out what offense should look like, the concepts that we run. They've just done a great job. When they get out and compete, they stay focused, they do what they're supposed to do, and they do what they're coached to do."
The improvement has come despite several changes to the roster.
Brown said Catoosa lost only one player from last year's team, but two other key contributors elected not to return this season. Senior Hadley McGrew helped recruit additional players, including fellow senior Sydnee White.
Junior Olivia Bowen also joined the team, along with freshman Lailanni Micheals. Those additions helped fill important roles as the Lady Indians continued developing their offense and defense.
McGrew and Micheals provide options at quarterback and receiver, while White and sophomore Maddy Shew contribute to the rushing attack.
The roster also includes seniors Kloie Bristol and Lucy Dawn Martinez, along with several younger players who have contributed to the team's unbeaten start.
Brown said the foundation for this season's success actually began forming late last year.
"At the end of the last couple of games last year, they figured it out," he said.
The results this fall have reflected that progress.
Catoosa opened with a convincing victory and continued winning as its defense limited opposing offenses. Its most significant victory came this week in a 14-6 decision against Booker T. Washington, which entered the matchup undefeated.
Brown said the Lady Hornets had rarely lost in recent seasons, with East Central among the few programs to defeat them.
Now, the Lady Indians will face the Lady Cardinals for the first time.
"We've never played them because they've always been in opposite divisions," Brown said.
The championship matchup also comes as girls flag football continues expanding throughout the Tulsa area.
Brown said Union and Bishop Kelley joined the league this season, while Sapulpa had planned to participate but was unable to field a team. Catoosa entered the league last year.
The sport is not currently sanctioned by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, but Brown said he believes growing participation and emerging college opportunities could help it continue gaining traction.
He said McGrew, his quarterback, has begun receiving recruiting interest from Missouri Southern.
For Brown, the opportunity to coach flag football has become another meaningful chapter in a career that includes two appearances in traditional football state championship games.
He served as an assistant at East Central during its 2010 state runner-up season and was offensive coordinator at Haskell when the Haymakers reached the 2015 championship game. He also won a district championship as head coach at Hobart and guided Kellyville to an 8-4 season and a second-round playoff appearance in 2020.
Brown currently serves as Catoosa's varsity football offensive coordinator.
Despite that experience, he said the success of his girls flag football team ranks alongside some of his most memorable coaching accomplishments.
"I enjoy coaching it as much as I enjoy coaching regular football," Brown said. "I've coached in two state finals, and I've won a district championship as a head coach. And this little deal ranks right up there with all that stuff."
Now, the Lady Indians have one game remaining and an opportunity to finish their season without a loss.
Reaching that point reflects the commitment Brown's players have demonstrated since those early-morning practices.
"They stay focused, they do what they're supposed to do and they do what they're coached to do," he said. "That's what's awesome about it."