East Bay High School Girls Flag Football 

A Brief History of Girls’ Flag Football in Florida

The FHSAA did not have to look for long.  In 1998, Billy Massey, the Boca Raton High School Athletic Director and former Spanish River High School flag football head coach, got the ball rolling by organizing a county league with 60 schools¹.

In the 1998-1999 school year, the FHSAA started girls’ flag football as a club sport in Florida high schools with 17 schools.  With tremendous enthusiasm, the sport grew so that by 2003 the FHSAA recognized the sport which allowed schools to participate in a state championship series¹.  It “is the fastest growing girls’ high school sport in the state”¹ with over 4,000 athletes and 157 schools fielding teams for the 2008-2009 season.  Recently, Alaska became the second state to offer girls’ flag football.

1.  “Girls Flag Football In State Of Florida Continues Exponential Growth”

 www.womenssportstoday.com/general/news/2007/5/14/girls-flag-football-in-state-of-florida-coninues-exponential-growth

2.  New Sports, Issue: 17.06 October/November 2005. www.athleticmanagement.com/2007/02/new_sports_girls_on_the_gridir.html

Girls’ Flag Football at East Bay

 2005-2006 The 1stYear:  Hillsborough County began offering the sport during the 2005-2006 school year.  By FHSAA rules the first year is a club sport.  George Edington became the head coach during East Bay’s inaugural season.  Since then Coach Edington has moved to become the head coach of Lennard High School boys’ football.  There is some debate what East Bay accomplished in its first season.  There is no record of statistics or wins but the consensus is that the varsity team finished 2-7.

2006-2007 The 2nd Year:  In its second season, the sport became recognized in Hillsborough which allowed for a district championship and competition in the state championship series.  East Bay’s district included Bloomingdale, Lennard, Newsome, Riverview and Spoto.

After Coach Edington left, Anne Tymszyszyn became the interim head coach and Michael Cooper became an assistant coach.  Before the 2006-2007 season began, Mrs. Tymszyszyn stepped down.  Coach Cooper became the head coach.  Assistant coaches were Greg Taplin and Sandy Marshall, with David First in his second year as a volunteer coach.  Varsity finished the season at 5-6, and placed second in the first district championship game.  Coach Taplin led the junior varsity to a 2-2-1 record.

2007-2008 The 3rd Year:  East Bay performed even better in the 2007-2008 season.  Cooper and Taplin continued as coaches, with Michelle Lee as an assistant.  The team finished 8-4 and won the district championship.  The team lost in the 1st round of regionals to eventual state runner-up Plant City.  Junior varsity finished 5-1 under Taplin.

2008-2009 The 4th Year:  Coaches for the 2008-2009 season were Cooper, Taplin, Samanthia Long, Scott Palmer and Tim Smith.  East Bay had its best season to date with a 9-3 record and won back-to-back District Championships.  The team lost in the 2nd round of regionals to Plant City.  Junior varsity finished 3-3 under Taplin.

2009-2010 The 5th Year:  For the first time all coaches returned for the 2009-2010 season.  This continuity was a significant factor for the season.  This was a season of "firsts".  East Bay became the first Hillsborough County to enter an in-season tournament.  One of nine teams in the Second Annual Matanzas High School Tournament, the Indians went 2-1 with victories over Seabreeze and Matanzas and losing by one point, 14-13, to Rickards.  East Bay had its best season at 11-3.  East Bay was the first and only team in the county with 3 district championships; the first to win 3 consecutive district championships; and the only team to play in every district championship game.  The team lost to Tampa Bay Tech in the 1st Round Regionals play-offs.  Junior Varsity had its best season to date with a 6-1 record under Taplin.

2010-2011 The 6th Year:  All coaches returned again and a new coach was added, Tony Rodriguez.  East Bay attended its second out-of-county tournament, this time in Tallahassee, the Capital City Classic.  The team earned state-wide recognition by taking #1 ranked Alonso down to the last play of the game, losing 25-19.  East Bay also defeated perennial powerhouse, Apopka, 19-13 in OT.  East Bay tied is best record ever at 11-3.  The team had a record 6 shut outs.  The Indians also played in its 5th consecutive district title game, falling short to Newsome, 7-0.  East Bay is the only team to have played in all 5 district title games.  Junior Varsity completed a 4-3 season, continuing its string of no losing seasons.

2011-2012 The 7th Year:  East Bay will be the first county team allowed to play an in-season, non-tournament, out-of-county game thanks to the district AD Lanness Robinson and assistant AD Jennifer Burchill!