Sophia Pixley (12), captain of the Dos Pueblos High School Flag Football Team, was selected to play alongside other stand-out high school seniors in the inaugural Los Angeles Rams Senior All-Star game on Dec. 21, 2024.
“Being selected as a captain … felt like a big honor for me and [is] something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Pixley said.
Pixley, the only player selected from Santa Barbara County, competed on the West Team, which included athletes from the San Fernando and Ventura County areas. The West Team faced off against the East Team, which was composed of players from the San Gabriel Valley and Pasadena areas.
Pixley explained that she first met the other girls the week before the game during a “media day” and then spent the following days with them at practices.
“Going into [the game], I was kind of … nervous, just knowing that I didn’t really know any of the girls, and all I knew [of] them was playing against them [as] rivals,” Pixley said. “I didn’t know if it was gonna go well, [or] if we were gonna get along.”
The All-Star game presented several challenges, including the use of a standard-sized field, which was larger than the fields used during the girls’ high school seasons. Additionally, the game featured 12-minute quarters instead of the usual 20-minute halves. Pixley faced an additional adjustment, since she played outside her regular linebacker position for most of the game.
“For me, … it definitely wasn’t my best game,” Pixley said. “I was rushing, which I have never played in season before, but I was also playing linebacker, which was my primary position during the season, so it was a little bit new to me.”
The two teams played a back-and-forth game, with the East team winning in the last seconds of the game, securing a score of 61-56. Even though they lost, Pixley said that she felt “excited” about the opportunity of playing in the inaugural game.
“It was pretty sad at the end of the game because we lost in the last ten seconds,” Pixley said. “But … it was a really cool game … to play.”
Although the All-Star game did not end in Pixley’s favor, she ended her high school season with 85 tackles in 22 games, aiding her team in finishing with an overall record of 17-6.
The 2024 season was the first year of CIF for the DPHS flag football team, giving it a “special” feeling for Pixley and the rest of the girls.
“I think it was special knowing that we would have playoffs this year, … and just that fact that we could go further than we did last year was really exciting,” Pixley said.
Pixley attributed the success of DPHS’s flag football program to their “determination” and their staff of coaches, made up of Head Coach Douglas Caines, Assistant Coach George Hedricks, and Assistant Coach Ryan Joy. This year, Caines was recognized as a runner-up for the LA Rams CIF Southern Section Girls Flag Football Coach of the Year award.
“I think Coach Caines is an amazing coach,” Pixley said. “Having him as a prior football coach and coming to coach flag football was really special and definitely gave us an advantage.”
In addition to their coaches, many players on the flag football team’s roster had gained prior experience in the sport before playing in high school by participating in Friday Night Lights, a local youth recreational league.
“I first started playing flag football in sixth grade at Brandon Elementary School,” Pixley said. “And then after that, I joined FNL in Santa Barbara. I played from sixth to eighth grade … and then from there, I started playing my junior year when it started at DP.”
Girls flag football is a moderately new sport at DPHS, with the 2024 season being the second year. Despite the sport’s recent establishment, Pixley emphasized the team’s bond and the “supportive” environment.
“I didn’t know … half of my teammates before the season or really talked to them before, and now they’re some of my closest friends,” Pixley said. “It’s a really special sport [and] I definitely would say try it out.”
However, the friendships Pixley has built while on this team were not her only take away from playing.
“I think it’s really special being on the field with my teammates in a sport that’s … one of the fastest growing sports in the world,” Pixley said. “I’ve always loved to play. It’s really cool feeling like you are a part of something bigger.”
