Four West O’ahu high schools made history this week as Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū and Kapolei High School played the inaugural Hawai’i state girls flag football game, then the Nānākuli Golden Hawks took on the Wai’anae Seariders on Wai’anae High School’s renovated Raymond Torii Field. Aloha thrives as smiles, laughter and joy mark the difference between girls flag football and the boys’ full-contact version.
Kapolei High School’s Brooklyn Bell throws the ball back before the first Hawai’i state high school girls flag football game against Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū Tuesday at Wai’anae High School. Because the dimensions of the field are 80 yards long by 40 yards wide, cones and pylons mark off the field of play on the larger regulation boys football field. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Joyful smiles spread across the faces of Kapolei High School girls flag football players, even when they’re getting ready to run sprints on Wai’anae High School’s newly renovated Raymond Torii Field. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Flag football became popular during World War II, when American military played it for exercise on base as a way to stay fit without getting injured, but women’s leagues did not start forming until the 1970s. According to NFLflag.com, Hawai’i is the 14th state to officially sanction girls high school flag football as a varsity sport. Louisiana votes next month to on whether to be next. About 18 states are testing pilot programs.
Ponytails of Kapolei High School’s Nia Macaraya, left, #3, and Aycia Pantaleon, #8, before participating in the first Hawai’i state high school girls flag football game against Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū in Wai’anae. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū’s Anuhea Brown charges hard, but misses de-flagging Kapolei High School’s Tori Galeano-Soares. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
The athletes play hard and make every effort to perform at their highest level. Even though it’s a non-contact sport, collisions and inadvertent tackles happen frequently.
Players from Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū and Kapolei High School laugh after Dreamhouse’s Serenity McEnroe, second left, #2, grabbed Kapolei’s Nia Macaraya’s hand to return her flag following a play and got the competitor to help her off the ground. Dreamhouse’s Baily Gabaylo, right, returns her other flag while Anuhea Brown, far left, pats McEnroe on the back. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Competitors joke, play around with each other and sometimes even help each other up. The simplest and most frequent form of respect for the other athlete is handing back the player’s flag after being “de-flagged,” which is the equivalent of being tackled in full-contact football.
Kapolei’s Lay Kiesel-Mokiao, #6, de-flags Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū quarterback Chevelle Kane, #8, before she can throw a pass in the second quarter of their Tuesday game. A rule on NFLflag.com says the quarterback has seven seconds to throw or hand off the ball. After the ball is no longer in the quarterback’s possession, there is no time limit for other players to handle the ball. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Wai’anae High School fans cheer for the Seariders’ girls flag football team’s first recorded touchdown against Nānākuli. The Wai’anae Seariders defeated the Nānākuli Golden Hawks 18-15. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Flag football follows its own rules and regulations with slight variations from its full-contact counterpart. The format is 7-on-7. Missing are the offensive and defensive linemen. But the offense has a center who begins the play by snapping the ball through her legs or underhand tossing it from the ground to the quarterback who stands five yards behind the line of scrimmage in a shotgun formation.
Kapolei High School’s Ka’ihilei Hoke, #12, celebrates Nia Macaraya’s, #3, touchdown against Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū Tuesday. Unlike boys football, the girls celebrate subtly and get back to business. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Kapolei High School’s Riah Lorenzo, left, #18, de-flags Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū’s Hauoli Pualilihau, #15, as Kapolei’s Azelia Pantaleon, #14, removes Pualilihau’s other flag. Pualilihau scored Dreamhouse’s only touchdown later in the game. Kapolei went on to win 12-6. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Kapolei’s Lily Tavale’s flag remains out of reach for Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū’s Meiana Chong. Unlike tackling to mark the place where the defense stopped the offense’s forward progress, it’s sometimes difficult for officials to see where the new line of scrimmage should be placed. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)The sun sits well below the horizon as Wai’anae High School players run onto the field to make their mark in the history books. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Nānākuli’s Carlee Sausi-Callejo, right, #25, and Zoe Unga, middle, #15, de-flag Wai’anae’s Kawena-Lynn Kaluna, left, #15, during their first Hawai’i state high school girls flag football game Tuesday night in Wai’anae. Even though it only takes removing one flag to stop a play, players on every team frequently tried to strip both flags. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)Kapolei High School players gather as the sun begins to set during halftime of the first Hawaii’i state high school girls flag football game against Dreamhouse Nā Hōkū. In 2019, Raymond Torii Field was ranked fourth in the nation by USA TODAY for the beauty of its location and sunsets. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025)
Civil Beat’s reporting has helped paint a more complete picture of Hawaiʻi with stories that you won’t find anywhere else.
Your donation today will ensure that our newsroom has the resources to provide you with thorough, unbiased reporting on the issues that matter most to Hawaiʻi.
