What do you do as an encore when your team wins Montgomery County’s first-ever flag football championship?

For head coach Aaron King, it’s a time to celebrate but also a time to set the team’s sights on a repeat championship.

“We worked hard all season long, and it all paid off in the end,” King said. “The path we had to take in order to end up as champions was such a storybook ending. You couldn’t write a better script.”

But that was last year. That team lost huge contributors Ariy Denson, Jakayla Thomas and Breanna Franklin. However, with many underclassmen playing large numbers of minutes last year, the cupboard is not empty.

King specifically noted three players who have taken leadership roles in practice. “Kinleigh Lewis, Leilyn Mercado and Evelyn Alexander have been super supportive and business minded from the moment we started offseason conditioning,” he said. “They took it upon themselves to mentor the newcomers and to continue to reinforce the standards that we set for ourselves last season to the veterans. On top of that, these girls are pushing the rest of the team to be better every day.”

One of the hallmarks of last year’s team was its defense, and King believes this year’s team is no different. “Our defense is elite again this season and our offense is starting to click in practice. I really think we can continue our success from last year,” he said.

For those who don’t know much about flag football, it’s a fast-paced game where tackles are made by pulling off a flag from the ball carrier’s belt.

“It’s everything about the game of football, just without the physicality,” King said. “Now that doesn’t mean there isn’t physicality. It’s a quick, fast-paced game with a lot of big play potential. If you want to see some of the best athletes in the school come together under one common goal, then this would be an awesome sport for you to come out and watch.”

After the success of last year’s squad, King hopes to see more fan attendance.

“I would love to see more people come out to support these athletes,” he said. “It’s such a fun sport to watch. They have worked so hard to put a good product out there on the field. They deserve to have some fans in the stands.”

The team’s first game is today at 6 p.m. at Kirkwood High School. The varsity squad will play first, followed by the junior varsity.