christopher devargas
Desert Oasis High School sophomore Akemi Higa broke the girls flag football state record for single-season passing yards with 7,020 yards. She will be honored at Monday's Sun Standout Awards as a finalist in the Rising Star category, which recognizes the top freshman or sophomore in any sport.
Saturday, May 18, 2024 | 2am
The Higa girls fell in love with flag football at an early age.
Maybe it was the thrill of competition and the indescribable feeling of scoring a touchdown, or maybe it was the camaraderie with teammates that we all love about sports. Either way, they were hooked.
Akemi Higa is a quarterback. Her twin Akiko is her favorite wide receiver. And they dominated, leading Desert Oasis High School to the state semifinals this winter and breaking state records.
Sophomore Akemi Higa broke Nevada's annual passing yards record with 7,020 yards. She will be honored at Monday's Sun Standout Awards as a finalist in the Rising Star category, which is the top freshman or sophomore in any sport. The event will be held at the South Point Showroom.
The Sun's annual awards ceremony is modeled after ESPN's ESPY Awards, which honor the top players, games and moments from the past prep season.
If the twins were still living in Hawaii, they would no longer be playing flag football because their home island of Oahu does not offer flag football for teenagers.
The Island girls and some friends formed a team for a tournament in California about three years ago. They performed admirably that weekend, even drawing attention from Jen Welter, the first woman on an NFL coaching staff.
They detailed for her the lack of opportunities for girls in Hawaii. The Sowers told them to move to Las Vegas, where the sport's popularity was rapidly increasing. The Clark County School District launched the nation's first high school flag football league for girls in 2012, and participation has skyrocketed.
So they moved to Las Vegas. We will introduce carefully selected zones of Desert Oasis High School, not just everywhere in town. The Diamondbacks have one of the best flag programs with him.
The girls have been a perfect fit this winter, with Akiko Higa recording 2,569 receiving yards and 48 touchdowns. She's not going to win any awards at the show.
“Why would you be good at something if there is no future in it?'' said Akemi Higa. “There is no future for our island.”
The future is bright here in Las Vegas.
That's because once the high school season ends, the club season takes over and gives the girls a circuit to continue their development. It has become a year-round activity.
And because the Raiders are so involved in youth soccer, the NFL team's Henderson facility hosts several events each year to give girls another platform to realize their soccer aspirations. Masu.
“I'm a little surprised,” Akemi Higa said. “I never expected to be so successful and so recognized in the sport I love. It's amazing to see everyone mention my name.”
Girls simply want equal opportunities to compete like boys. Our Las Vegas youth sports community should be proud of how flag football has blossomed into its opportunities.
Desert Oasis coach Todd Thompson said his program had 75 girls across three levels of teams. Unfortunately, he has to cut about 50 girls each season and often ends up referring them to the basketball program.
Before the advent of flag football, there were girls who loved soccer so much that they joined the men's tackle team. That's what the Higa twins tried to do in Hawaii.
“There's no need for that right now,” Thompson said. “There was a time when you were like, 'How cool is it that she's playing soccer with the boys?' But you have your own sport to play now, and it's a sport that's on the way to college and the Olympics.” You don't have to be run over by a 300-pound kid.”
Several NAIA schools offer flag football and give full scholarships, encouraging players like the Twins to strive for the next level.
Akemi Higa may go one step further. She is a member of the U.S. U-17 national team and could play under center at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, when flag football debuts as an Olympic sport.
“She's a natural quarterback,” Thompson said. “She throws the ball better than a lot of the boys I've coached over the years. Other than that, her demeanor is just flat. If anyone could create the best brain for a quarterback, it's her. Right. At the end of the drive, I don't know if we scored a touchdown or if she threw a pick-six. Because she's the same way.”
Akemi Higa is not the only representative from the flag football world to be selected as a finalist for the Sun Standout Award.
Shadow Ridge High School conceded just 16 points in three playoff games, winning its third consecutive state championship and becoming a finalist for Team of the Year. Coach Matt Neiswonger is a finalist for Coach of the Year.
Nighswonger deserves a lot of credit for helping the game reach new heights. He is president of the local coaches association and coordinates off-season leagues behind the scenes.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how much excitement (the game) exploded,” he said.
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