The Serrano High School Girls Flag Football team made their way into the history books this fall, not only as the school’s first sanctioned girls flag football team but also as the first flag football team in the school’s history to qualify for the CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
This milestone marked a new era for Serrano athletics. Earlier this year, Serrano joined a small but growing group of schools in the High Desert to launch a girls’ flag football program, joining the likes of Adelanto High School and Victor Valley High School.
While many schools in Southern California have come to embrace the new sport, Serrano has stood out as a pioneer for the High Desert region. Because of limited local participation, Head Coach Katie Mitchell took it upon herself to start the flag football program at Serrano and did the work to search and find other high school teams in Southern California to play against. Therefore, the Diamondbacks faced most of their competition against teams located “down the hill,” traveling to cities such as San Bernardino, Riverside, and Temecula while competing in the CIF Ambassador League, since the local Mojave River League did not have enough schools with a girls’ flag football program to participate.
Despite being the new team on the field, Serrano made a statement early on in the season. The Diamondbacks opened their inaugural season at home in Phelan with a 33–7 victory over Redlands High School on August 18. After that first victory, Head Coach Katie Mitchell reflected on the team’s accomplishment. “This moment is bigger than just one game.” Mitchell said “These young women are pioneers. We’re so proud of their hard work, and we can’t wait to see how far they’ll take this program.”
With their victory over Redlands, the Diamondbacks set the tone for a successful season of determination, teamwork, and a trailblazing spirit. By the end of the regular season, Serrano had earned a 9–10 overall record and a 4–4 record in their league, finishing in third place behind Western Christian High School of Upland and Linfield Christian School of Temecula. The strong finish secured the Diamondbacks a spot in Round 1 of the CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
On Tuesday, October 21, the team traveled to Lancaster to face Antelope Valley High School, the Golden League’s top seed with an impressive 11–2 regular season record. Serrano battled fiercely throughout the game, keeping the score close until the final whistle. Despite their efforts, the Diamondbacks ultimately fell short, losing 18–12.
Although the playoff run ended sooner than hoped, the season was an undeniable success. Head Coach Katie Mitchell hopes that Serrano’s groundbreaking season, along with Adelanto High School’s remarkable journey to the CIF-SS semifinals, will motivate other Mojave Desert schools to launch girls’ flag football programs of their own.
Coach Mitchell is passionate about flag football and takes it very seriously, having played the sport herself back in high school and college. “This program is something that benefits the girls,” said Coach Katie Mitchell. “It’s not just for fun, it gives them opportunities to go to college.” Coach Mitchell mentioned that there have already been a few University Coaches and scouts who have attended their games, looking to recruit athletes for their college’s Flag Football teams, which is also growing in popularity at the collegiate level.
Serrano’s debut year set the foundation for a bright future for girls’ flag football and as the program grows, it will continue to open doors for female athletes in the Tri-Community and across the High Desert.
Congratulations to the 2025 Serrano High School Girls Flag Football Team! Players include: Veronica Amplayo, Sara Beth Antle, Aila Berlanga, Mackenzie Bowman, Makayla Fogelman, Ann Marie Coulter, Hannah Hannan-Tena, Julianna Jackson, Yocelin Marroquin, Giselle Martinez, Jada Rodriguez, Riley Spotts, Madison Sullivan, Lauryn Taylor, Madelynn Wharton, Charlesetta Hannan-Tena, Andrea Nepomuceno, Peyton Smith and Sarya Williams. Head Coach, Katie Mitchell and Assistant Coach, Frankee Maholchic.
