On Friday, May 15, Orchard Park’s Varsity Flag Football team entered the playoffs, where they would defeat Lockport and Lancaster, advancing them to the Section Finals on May 23, where they unfortunately suffered a disappointing loss, falling to Kennmore, their Section rival, by just one point.
Fans may recall that last year Orchard Park’s flag football team won the Section VI title for the first time in its history, defeating Kenmore. The title made them the team that everyone wanted to beat in 2026, so winning the first two games of the playoffs put them on the right track. However, the devastating loss to Kenmore cut their season short, ensuring that the rivalry with Kenmore continues.
Flag football is a relatively new high school sport for girls, and it’s growing in popularity. This is Orchard Park’s fifth year with the team, and participation has only gone up, showing how fast flag football has taken off. The program started with just a single varsity team in the first year and has now grown to three teams: Varsity, JV, and Orchard Park’s newest edition this year, modified at the middle school. With roughly 100 girls trying out for just these three teams alone, flag football has definitely become the talk of the town. Winning the Section title in only its fourth year as a team is nothing to be shy about: It’s a significant accomplishment for the new program and for women in flag.
After hearing all this, one may wonder if game-day wins can be credited to talent alone, or does something else play a role? Superstitions are not new when it comes to athletes, and no matter the sport, athletes tend to blame them for being the sole reason they won or lost a game, even though we all know there are other underlying factors. Whether it’s wearing your lucky socks, having a certain meal before, or even not washing your jersey after a previous win, superstitions can come in many shapes and forms with different degrees of severity. After talking with a few people on the varsity flag football team, it’s clear that they won’t rule out superstition playing a role in their success.
“I definitely have superstitions before a big game,” said Anna Jones, a junior on the team. “I have a routine I go through right before kickoff, and it helps me lock in, and I feel as though it makes me play better for sure,” she added.
Another junior on the team, Grace Bottlinger, shared her thoughts when asked if she had any superstitions. “Definitely,” Bottlinger said. “No matter what, I always have a braided bun in for any sport I play.”
Leela Clerici, another junior on the team, has a somewhat funny ritual beforehand. “Yes, 100%!” said Clerici, “I have superstitions about everything, and before every flag football game, I take at least a 30-minute nap to clear my head and refresh for the big game.”
When asked if having superstitions leads to a gameday win, Jones thinks they have value. “I think superstitions do help my team win because I guess it brings us closer together as a team and makes everyone connected, which then shows on the field,” said Jones.
The team had a great regular season and a strong start in the playoffs. It seems like they have what it takes to pull off another Section title next season. Will new superstitions and game-day rituals be brought to the table next year, or will the ladies stick with what they know? I guess we’ll have to wait and see! Go Quakers!
