JHS Girls Flag Football_1: The inaugural JHS Girls Flag Football team finished as CCAA runners up. The team kicks off the season this weekend in Orchard Park at the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse before they host Fredonia on April 7 at 4 p.m. at Strider Field to kick off the program’s first season in the ECIC.

Are you ready for some football?

For the second straight season, Jamestown High School will field a girls flag football team following another strong turnout by students. This season will mark the program’s first season in the Erie County Interscholastic Conference.

“The participation in our open gyms has been great!” said head coach Steve Propheter. “We have a lot more girls interested in playing than last year. At the ECIC meeting this year, almost every team said they hope to eventually add a Modified team, Junior Varsity team, or both. So we are keeping everyone that comes out to get them experience as we hope to do the same.”

The Red & Green finished last season — the first for programs across Section VI — as Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association runners up, coming up just short in the championship game to Fredonia.

Propheter — an assistant varsity football coach for Jamestown in the fall — will once again coach with fellow assistant coach Richie Joly. The excitement among the athletes continues to be infectious even one year later, Propheter said.

“It was new to almost all of them and they were sponges when it came to learning a new sport,” Propheter said. “They brought an energy with them every day that lifted the whole team. It made the experience fun for everyone, Coach Joly and I included. We are looking forward to bringing more girls into the sport and sharing that energy with them.”

The season will once again kickoff in Orchard Park at the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse, with games happening on subsequent Sundays. This season, games will be played throughout the week. Jamestown hosts Fredonia on April 7 at 4 p.m. at Strider Field.

The move into the ECIC will also pit Jamestown against historic rivals from across the Buffalo area like Lancaster, Orchard Park, Frontier, Clarence, and Niagara Falls.

“We are excited to play the ECIC teams,” Propheter said. “We are competitors and look forward to some of the rivalries we have when it comes to fall football. We know we are going to see good coaching and good players. As a team, I think that will make us better.”

The team lost a few key seniors from last year’s team, but, thanks to the strong numbers, has “gained a lot of talent,” he said.

“There are some very athletic girls that have joined our team and many of them are returning,” he said. “It’ll be hard to know what to expect without playing any of the ECIC teams last year. But I like how our team has looked in the offseason.”

And even though the program is only in Year 2, Propheter can already sense a strong, dedicated culture that has defined the high school’s tradition of athletic excellence.

“I love the team mentality that the girls have,” he said. “They are all great teammates and know we are here for each other. They encourage one another, take responsibility and really try their hardest. Win or lose, I know they are going to do the best that they can. Coach Joly and I really enjoy coaching players that are willing to learn and try their hardest.”