MOORE — From Hobson to Hamilton, flag football is gaining ground across Montana.
Just last fall, 17 schools fielded girls teams. This year, that number has climbed to 28, thanks to 11 more programs funded by grants from the Arthur Blank Family Foundation.
WATCH: Hobson-Moore launches flag football team
One of those new programs is Hobson-Moore — a co-op of two small Class C communities with a combined enrollment of 59 students that lost their boys football team this fall.
Low numbers forced the Titans into a co-op with Lewistown, leaving the girls flag football squad as the only gridiron team competing under the Titans name.
“I just think the football, you know, is important in both these communities,” head coach and Hobson superintendent Hugo Anderson said. “And then with these girls, you know, just having been around them and coached them in other sports as they've grown up, just thought they'd be really good at football and enjoy the game.”
The Titans drew 15 players for their inaugural season, with many juggling volleyball or cross country alongside football.
“We're going straight from one practice to another right after school, so it's a lot, but it's pretty fun. And it gets a little tiring,” said freshman Aaliyah Eike.
The team is young — only one senior, no juniors and an eighth grader at quarterback. That has made for a steep learning curve. But after attending a clinic in Bozeman hosted by the Atlanta Falcons and getting together throughout the summer for open field opportunities, the Titans are showing progress.
“I think we're all starting to understand it a little bit more,” said senior Lauren Deegan. “Of course, like routes and things, we understood football, but not what to do when you're actually playing it. So I think that was probably the hardest part, was understanding what you're supposed to do and what your job is.”
For eighth-grade quarterback Andi Anderson, the chance to lead a new program has come with added responsibility.
“We all like the pressure, you know, to kind of do good,” she said. “This is our football team, you know, since our boys didn't have one this year.”
The Titans have added their own flair to the gridiron, sporting bedazzled mouthguards as a team bonding project.
“We all thought it was a good idea to get pink mouth guards and then glue rhinestones on it," Eike said.
Though inexperienced, the Titans proved their speed in their home opener, defeating Roundup 25-6. With larger schools on the schedule, they’re eager to test themselves further.
“Athletically, feel like our girls can compete with anybody,” Anderson said. “Of course, we'll find out in a couple weeks. We get to a (Class) AA school when Missoula Hellgate comes. So, you know, we'll see.”
Deegan added: “We're fast. We might be a little bit small, but we're fast and ... we're very competitive. We are ready to go out and play.”
