SHC Launches Flag Football Team

Sacred Heart Cathedral is excited to announce the addition of Flag Football to the Fightin’ Irish Athletics Program, the school’s 10th sports program offered to girls. SHC becomes the first West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) high school in San Francisco to offer Flag Football.

Girls Flag Football received its official stamp of approval in February after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) voted unanimously to sanction high school Girls Flag Football.

“We are excited to add Flag Football to our slate of programs that we offer our female athletes,” Director of Athletics Caesar Smith said. “It is one of the fastest-growing sports in the state and provides more opportunity for girls to participate in high school athletics and, potentially, at the collegiate level.”

SHC is also pleased to announce Kristin Ray as the first-ever Head Coach of the Flag Football Team. Ray brings years of experience as a coach in girls and boys basketball, track & field and football. She joined the SHC community as an assistant coach in the Football Program in 2022, becoming the first female football coach at SHC and the first in the WCAL. Ray competed in basketball and track & field at City College of San Francisco (2000-02) and track & field at the University of Hawaii Manoa (2002-04).

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to build a strong female football community at Sacred Heart Cathedral, one that is on an equal playing field with the boys. I wish I had the opportunity to play football in high school, and I hope the young women at SHC seize this opportunity and take pride in building the SHC Flag Football Program. As a parent and a coach at SHC, I see firsthand that this community is like a close-knit family. I am excited to be a part of this new chapter in SHC Athletics.”

The Flag Football Team makes its debut this fall and will compete in the CIF Central Coast Section.