This year, the IHSA implemented girls flag football in the state series, presenting an opportunity for girls across the state to play one of the most popular sports in the country. Though no one really knew the greatness Fremd’s flag football team was destined to have, head coach Rebecca O’Dette was confident since the beginning of the season.
“We’re going all the way to state,” O’Dette said. “I want to go all the way to state and win. I want to be the 1st team in the history of Illinois to win state in flag football.”
And in their first season as a program, O’Dette’s team delivered on her promise after a historic run capped off by a 24-12 win against Rockford in the championship, crowning them as the 1st state champions in IHSA history.
Though their performance at state makes it seem like the team’s played together for years, their win comes after less than 3 months of organized practices.
“I mean, these girls didn’t know what a route was,” O’Dette said. “They didn’t know what it means to get outside the pocket, just normal football terminology they didn’t know. Other teams came in with that knowledge, and they can just hone their skills.”
Unlike Fremd, the seven other teams in the state series had multiple seasons of experience under their belt. To combat this, Fremd’s team filled with multi-sport athletes stopped at nothing to master the ins and outs of the game throughout the course of the season.
“And you know, when you have smart players that can learn quickly, that is different from a player who maybe isn’t as experienced in sports and can’t learn as quickly,” O’Dette said. “So I think that the fact that these girls are also smart and athletic makes them, you know, a notch above every other player.”
It’s not often that history is made right at Fremd’s doorstep, but this year is unlike any other. Against all odds, the Vikings’ pioneering flag football program sits at the top of Illinois. And though it may be easy to step off the gas this off-season, the team is already thinking about how to maintain their championship status.
“Already we’re making post conferences with the girls right now,” O’Dette said. “We’re strategizing next season. We’re trying to figure out, you know, what we can do in the off-season, to come into August ready to go and win another state championship”
