Flag football is back for another successful spring season.

The 2024-2025 school year marks the second-ever season of girls’ flag football at Cape Coral High School. 

The addition of flag football to Cape High’s atmosphere first derived from its popularity at the Powderpuff games. 

Flag football, which started as just another option for a female sport, has morphed into a welcoming environment where girls can come together to have fun and make friends. 

Last season, the flag football team had a record of 1-6. However, for the players, winning is not what the sport is all about. 

The players and coaches prioritize having a good time, and they always seem to succeed.

Sophomore Leah Nieves said, “We have a really good group of girls, and everybody just seems to get along.”

The coaches, Robert Gamache and Hunter Bontrager, are eagerly preparing for another thrilling season. Both are deeply engaged in Cape High’s athletic programs, and this marks their second year coaching flag football.

Gamache and Bontrager received raving reviews from the girls, who believe that they have maintained just the right balance between being serious and allowing the girls to still let loose a little and have fun. 

Sophomore Amanda Rangel said, “They[coaches] are very nice, they’re strict when they need to be strict, but they’re still compassionate with us, and they’re definitely experts on what they do.”

Gamache counts football as an important part of him as a person, as he has been a player and coach his entire life. So, the chance to mentor young people through football was an amazing opportunity that, when presented to him, he seized. 

Last year, the highlight of Cape High’s season was beating their rival team, Mariner High School, and they look forward to doing it again. 

Gamache has high hopes for the team this year, as he believes that they’re always improving. 

“Our defense is really solid at this point and although our offense is very young, we do have some talented athletes who will develop into good players over time,” said Gamache.

Sophomore and newcomer to the team, Bryanna Lorenzo is confident that it’s going to be a good season.

Lorenzo said, “I definitely think this season will be even better than last year, the girls are really trying this year and the coaches really want it to be better.”

There was an abundance of interest and buzz surrounding the team this year, causing new faces to try out to be a part of the team environment. 

“Everyone on the team was having so much fun last year, and I wanted to have fun too so that’s why I joined,” said sophomore Rowen Nagle.  

The team’s preseason games, although Cape High lost, served as a successful dry run for the newer athletes. 

Sophomore Tatyana Domingo said, “The preseason games were hard to get used to, just because I don’t play this sport, but it was awesome to learn how to work with my teammates and build a team dynamic.”