Shadow Ridge is home to an exemplary flag football team. In the last three years the Mustangs have brought home three state championships and are on the prow for a fourth this upcoming season. Recently, MaxPreps named Shadow Ridge Flag Football the #1 nationally ranked team. Though this award feels amazing to all the players and coaches, they still have their sights set on maintaining excellence.
“I am quite sure our athletes are excited about it, just as we coaches are. However, our athletes and staff are focused on this upcoming season and are hungry to prove that Shadow Ridge Flag Football is still elite and the Nevada standard,” says Coach Erik Pack.
The mission is nowhere near over for the Mustang impact on women’s sports has added fuel to their fire.
“What a blessing it has been. I think truthfully it is affecting us in a way where we’re hungry for more. It is awesome to see women’s sports progress and with the addition of Flag Football in the Olympics and now getting this awesome recognition just makes us want to keep moving the sport forward and get to be a part of it especially here in Nevada,” adds Coach Drew Dubois.
For Coach Matthew Nighswonger, the award feels great, however he knows each year’s team is different and he is looking forward to creating a new identity this year.
“I think it gives us some confidence. I also don’t want to judge this year’s team based on last year’s team. We are a new group and need to form our own identity. We don’t have to be anybody but the 24-25 team. We will work to make our own accomplishments,” Nighswonger says.
While this is a large recognition is a huge deal, for all three of the coaches, they agree they definitely did not plan a celebration.
Nighswonger says, “My photos on Instagram are always a hit! We probably need to appreciate the honor and celebrate it more, to be honest!”
Dubois also agrees, they really kept focus and didn’t celebrate as much as they could have.
“Truthfully I don’t know if we ever really celebrated it because it does feel so surreal. We have just been so busy moving forward and getting ourselves ready to keep performing at a high level and keep the sport growing. We do feel so blessed and excited to try and bring it back to the Ridge again,” Dubois says.
Having a banner to display is one of the most prideful parts of this entire award.
“We haven’t really celebrated yet. Personally, I cannot wait for the banner to go up, though. I’m sure we’ll get a mention at a future assembly,” Pack says.
The driving factor that keeps Mustang Flag Football the standard reigns as motivation. Motivation is what pushes them to give back to the game.
Pack says, “It is very validating and a huge honor to get this type of national recognition for our program. But it is also motivation to continue to strive for success.”
Shadow Ridge sets a high bar for flag football, shattering record after record, and winning game after game, they fight for every inch they gain.
“We have now won all three 5A state championships in the history of the state. Post Covid we are the standard for women’s flag football in Nevada. We have a record of 67-8, a league record of 33-2, we have not lost a road game, and we are undefeated in the state playoffs,” Nighswonger says. “It is a really nice honor, but we are still trying to gain the recognition that we deserve. Women’s flag football is a fun, competitive, tough sport. We would love for more people to come out to our games and to know about our sport.”
The success Shadow Ridge has seen has been nothing short of a true team effort, on and off the field, within the walls of the school, and at home every person has had an effect on this remarkable program.
“The team has been incredible to be a part of but I think it truly comes from ‘The Program’ as a whole. It has started within the school and the support we’ve received from administration and other faculty members, to the coaching staff that I am blessed to be a part of. I haven’t felt a staff like this as far as being connected to each other and truly putting the team’s needs first. Then of course the girls and their dedication and motivation. I have truly seen them buy-in to the program as a family and truly working and fighting for each other and holding each other accountable,” stated Dubois.
