Janasia Wilson takes the snap from Charlotte Soto with Shania Feaser in the backfield during the win over East Orange
The Irvington High School Girls Flag Football team started the season strong with a 51-0 win over East Orange Campus High School on April 17 at IHS.
The win was the 30th for the program, which has been to the state championship game twice, winning it all in 2022. The team didn’t make it to the finals last year but did get invited to travel cross-country to play in the second Nike Football Kickoff Classic at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. Irvington took first place in the five-team tournament that included squads from California, Nevada and Illinois.
“It’s a good sport, it’s growing,” said Head Coach Kyle Steele. “We have the right engines behind it; Nike, Gatorade and the NFL. They can sell anything.”
The latest victory, over East Orange, came despite the team missing its top receiver and after four previously scheduled games had been postponed for a variety of reasons.
“I was just happy to get my girls a chance to play,” Steele said, adding it’s tough to keep practicing and pushing without a game.
The coach said the entire team played well despite the adversity and cited Izhanay ‘Izzy’ Taylor, NaKeya Jones, Jadzai Harris-Hubbard and Charlotte Soto for particularly strong play.
Quarterback Janasia Wilson had a typically strong game and at one point connected with Harris-Hubbard on a pass play where the ball was in the air for
about 20 yards. Soto, a sophomore, had six tackles and a sack.
The win brought the team its 30th win against just three losses.
“I’m real proud of our girls,” Steele said. “I’m pretty sure we’re the first team (in the state) to get to 30 wins.”
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