The Lambert Flag Football season is about to kick off with their first game on October 1, 2025. For the seniors that are going into the season, they are leading with a positive mindset and a bittersweet feeling knowing that this is their last season. On the other hand, the freshmen on the team are learning how to navigate this challenging sport. So, the girls are working hard to make sure to have a great season.
Lila Grinnell is a freshman on the team, and she plays Quarterback and Wide Receiver. Being a freshman on a varsity team can be daunting, but Grinnell is putting in the work to live up to her team’s expectations.
Grinnell has learned a lot about herself as an athlete, which she credits to her involvement in sports such as basketball and flag football.
“Basketball has taught me a lot about myself and who I am, and I just kind of put that into flag [flag football],” Grinnell stated.
When performing in different sports or extracurriculars, people learn different lessons such as perseverance, determination and sportsmanship. Having prior knowledge in extracurriculars is key to growing skills throughout a high school career.
Grinnell doesn’t credit all of her success just to her involvement in basketball, but she also credits it to God. Grinnell’s faith is very important to her, and she takes it into all that she does.
“If I’m having a bad game, I know that God’s with me and it will be fine,” Grinnell stated. “If I get hurt I know that I’ll heal and He’s always there by my side as I go through my games and practices.”
Grinnell’s faith has helped her excel in her sport; knowing that she has a shoulder to lean on helps her advance her skillset. Her faith has helped her mentally and physically perform better.
Senior, Nichole Gomez, is another player on the Varsity Flag Football team. She plays Center on offense and sometimes plays on the defense line. Knowing that this is her last season, Gomez is trying to lead as an upperclassman and play her best.
Gomez has been playing flag football since her freshman year, and started off on the junior varsity (JV) team. Gomez has worked her way up to the top and is now a starter on offense. Gomez has proved herself as a key player on the varsity team because of all the practice and effort she has put into the sport.
“Just trying to get the team hype and helping out the freshmen if they don’t know their plays,” Gomez stated.
As a senior on the team, it is very important to make sure that you are helping out the underclassmen as they navigate the new team. Making sure that the freshmen are showing school pride just as much as the seniors is a very big thing that Gomez is trying to make a top priority for this coming season.
Last year, the varsity flag football team had the opportunity of playing at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the State Championship.
Being able to play at the Championship last year was a huge accomplishment, so the team is definitely trying to work towards reliving that experience and make more memories as a team.
While she gets ready to play in this coming season, Gomez has been reminiscing on when she was a freshman. Gomez can remember being nervous and not having a sense of place yet on the team. She wants the freshman to know that the seniors are there to help with whatever they need and cheer them on.
“Just have fun because this sport is super fun,” Gomez stated. “My freshman year was really fun on JV and especially if you are on JV as a freshman, it’s just a chance for you to start learning and everything.”
Overall, flag football is a very challenging sport and both Gomez and Grinnell are ready to work hard to achieve their goals and make it back to the State Championship this coming season.
