Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
There will be a new game in town at Boot Hill Stadium this spring. The Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowgirls' flag football team is ready to begin their first season in the sport. “We are really excited about our first season,” said Coach James Ertzberger.
Those familiar with football will notice a few differences in the flag football version as compared to traditional football. The first difference is the field is only 80 yards long and not quite as wide as the traditional football field. Offensive play is very similar. Teams may run or pass the ball. Players may block, but may not extend their arms or draw contact. Teams have four downs in order to gain ten yards, just as in traditional football. Teams may punt on fourth down. One major difference on offense is there are no kicks for a point after a touchdown conversion. Instead, when a team scores a touchdown, they may opt for a one, two, or three point conversion. On a one point conversion attempt, the ball is placed on the three yard line. On a two point conversion attempt, the ball is placed on the 10 yard line. On a three point conversion attempt, the ball is placed on the 20 yard line.
On the defensive side of the ball, the object is not to “tackle” a player. Instead, the object is to pull a flag from the waste of the opposing player advancing the ball. When the flag is pulled, the player with the ball is “down” at that point.
“The future is bright and the girls are working really hard,” added Ertzberger. The first regular season for the Cowgirls' JV and Varsity flag football teams will take place at Boot Hill Stadium on the MCHS Campus on Tuesday, Mar. 21. Kick-off for the JV game against Florida High is set for 5:30 p.m. Kick-off for the varsity game with Florida High is scheduled for 7 p.m. “We want a lot of people to come out and watch the girls compete,” said Ertzberger.