One of the more popular activities in the Thomas Jefferson sports program is girls flag football.
At the beginning of the WPIAL season, which runs from March to the end of May, there were 23 players on the Jaguars’ roster.
“The girls all have a great attitude about the game, and they understand what we are trying to accomplish,” said TJ coach George Souders, who was named Week 1 Girls Flag Football Coach of the Week. “It is good to have fun in this sport, but we all have a goal in place to win the WPIAL.”
Younger girls at TJ appear to be attracted to the sport as there are 10 sophomores and five freshmen on the roster, along with four seniors and four juniors.
The Jaguars’ weekly gameplan can be summarized in two words.
“At the start of the season, our coach gave us a quote to follow: ‘Controlled Chaos,’” said TJ quarterback Bella Stupakis. “That really spoke to me, especially for this group of girls. We play with a lot of energy, and sometimes it looks like chaos — but it’s the kind of chaos that makes us dangerous.
“We are really focusing on pushing ourselves to be the best we can be.”
Stupakis is a senior who took over the reins at the Jaguars’ starting quarterback position last year. It was her first attempt at playing QB at any level.
Unfortunately, Stupakis tore her ACL a few weeks ago and will miss the rest of the season.
“Last year was definitely a learning curve for me,” Stupakis said. “Before March, I had never really thrown a football to anyone other than my dad, and I was immediately thrown into the deep end of reading defenses, avoiding the rusher and still being able to throw deep passes to my wide receivers.
“It took some time, but eventually I started to understand everything and it became almost second nature to me.”
Layla Patterson, a junior, has stepped in at quarterback for the injured Stupakis.
“My thoughts on our overall performance are how much we have advanced from last season while also having a great bond, which I think has played a huge role in how far we’ve come,” Patterson said. “We had to make an adjustment with Bella tearing her ACL, and it seems to have been working out with our team making adjustments to be the best we can be.
“I have been trying my hardest to train and be the best I can for my team and coaches. It was an idea we had at the beginning of the season for me to be the second-string quarterback. Now being the main quarterback has been challenging at times trying to keep the same high standards Bella set and be as good as an athlete she is, but with working hard with great coaches, it has been a great journey so far with more to come with games and playoffs.”
Patterson is joined in the starting lineup by sophomore running back Kaylyn Kislak, freshman center Mya Clonan and a group of wide receivers consisting of senior Tyla Kynor, junior Marissa DeSimone and sophomores Aubrey Mahoney and Tess Oberio.
“Our lineup has changed a little,” Souders said. “Victoria Clark is a freshman who has also been in our lineup depending on our formation. Victoria has been a great utility player for us. She has filled in at linebacker, safety, corner, receiver and running back.
“Layla has done a great job at quarterback, and she originally was only going to be a linebacker and receiver for us. She can throw a nice ball and is becoming more comfortable back there. We are going to keep working with her so she can make those split-second decisions that will help us win more games.”
TJ qualified for the league playoffs with a 9-1 record last season but lost to North Allegheny in the first round.
“This season, I was really looking forward to building on what we started last year,” Stupakis said. “My teammates worked extremely hard in the offseason. We added some new talent in our freshman class, and a few other athletes saw how much fun we were having and actually switched sports to join the team.”
Souders installed a new defensive system this year; he also developed three different passing levels on offense.
“Since flag football is still relatively new for many of us, we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on the fundamentals, especially route running,” Stupakis said. “Personally, I’ve been working on improving my throwing mechanics and building strength so I can throw the ball farther with more accuracy. My quarterback coaches have really emphasized that I need to ‘punch’ the ball on my throws to get the best possible release and velocity.”
Stupakis suffered her season-ending injury during the second quarter of her team’s game March 23 against Upper St. Clair.
“Bella is an outstanding quarterback. It’s a shame she is unable to come back this season,” Souders said. “She is a great leader on the team and still shows up to games and practices even though she can’t play right now. We hope her surgery goes well and she has a speedy recovery.”
Girls flag football is one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the state and has been officially added to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
This is the first season that girls flag football is being overseen by the WPIAL as a sanctioned varsity sport. There are 58 teams in four sections.
TJ is a member of Section 2 along with Baldwin, Belle Vernon, Bethel Park, Brentwood, California, Clairton, Monessen, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, South Allegheny, South Fayette, Uniontown and Upper St. Clair.
“Our team’s goals are to work on timing everything perfectly and keeping a good team bond while also winning in the playoffs,” Patterson said. “This is a great team, and I wouldn’t want to experience our high school’s first flag football team with any other people.”
The top four teams in each section qualify for the league playoffs.
Halfway through the season, the team leaders in Section 2 were Mt. Lebanon (5-0), TJ (7-1), Bethel Park (5-1) and Uniontown (3-1).
TJ averaged 32.3 ppg in their seven victories while allowing 15.6 ppg defensively.
The Jaguars defeated Brentwood, 41-20, California, 32-18, Belle Vernon, 31-12, Baldwin, 33-14, South Allegheny, 25-14, Peters Township, 27-13, and Monessen, 37-18. The only blemish on their schedule was a 35-0 loss to USC.
“I think this team has what it takes to make a big run in the playoffs this season,” Stupakis said. “We’re just really excited to show the WPIAL what we’re capable of. This group has worked really hard.”