OLu's inaugural flag football season last fall was one for the record books as the Lancers captured the sport's first ever Trinity League title and fell just short of winning the 2023 Chargers Championship Tournament.
 
This year, flag football will be observed as a full CIF sport, with over 250 teams competing in the Southern Section, more than double last year's numbers. The postseason will include four divisions comprised of 32 teams each.
 
OLu will field nearly 40 players across three teams, including 30 underclassmen, a reflection of the significant growth the sport has seen both locally and nationally. Flag football has also seen an increase in college programs and will be an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
 
"It's crazy how much it has grown in such a short time," says OLu flag football head coach Kristen Sherman. "I think the fact that we can field three teams this year is a testament to that. Girls have been really excited about it, and it's cool to watch these younger incoming girls…which shows you how much it's taking root. It continues to grow, outpacing what all of us expected."
 
The Lancers are returning seven All-League players, including quarterback and Trinity League MVP sophomore Makena Cook. She will be joined by sophomore wide receivers Keylee Baker and Josie Anderson, as well as junior wide receiver and safety Julia Oberholtzer. Freshman Capri Cuneo is part of a talented group of newcomers, and both Cook and Baker are coming off a strong summer as part of the U.S. Flag National 15U team that won a gold medal in the Junior International Cup.
 
"I think there's a lot more confidence and a lot more experience, so they're just ready," says Sherman.  
 
The varsity squad will play in two tournaments this year, including the Chargers Invitational on August 23 which will feature 16 of the top teams in SoCal, and the OC Girls Flag Football Classic on September 7 and 14. Trinity League contests begin September 24 when OLu hosts Mater Dei.
 
The season kicks off August 20 on the road versus Capistrano Valley, and after the program's success last season, along with a roster full of skill and experience, the Lancers are looking to repeat as league champions and make a deep run in the sport's first ever CIF-SS playoffs.
 
"With the growth and the excitement of the younger girls and seeing how this group continues to get better and the huge steps that they're making…it's really exciting to think about continuing to take a step forward," says Sherman. "So we were young last year, we're really young this year, but I think we've got a shot to make a run at it with the group we've got."