Flag football is here to stay, and it’s only going to get bigger.

Three area schools have started girls flag football programs and are holding their first official practices this week. Sierra and Lathrop were among the 70 trailblazers in the Sac-Joaquin Section that started last year when flag football became a sanctioned sport by the California Interscholastic Federation.

Fellow Manteca Unified schools Manteca High and East Union have joined the craze, as has Ripon. Turnout at the five participating schools in the area have been high enough for each to field varsity and JV teams.

“It has been overwhelmingly positive,” Manteca coach Priscilla Riddick said. “In our initial meeting, we had like 90 girls show interest. That number has dwindled down for summer workouts, of course, but I’ve had 15-20 students email me since school started back up saying they were interested.

“Everybody from the students to the teachers and staff are excited for this opportunity for the girls. People are asking me when our first games are because they want to come watch us play.”

The Buffaloes are maxing out their varsity and JV rosters at 20 apiece. Riddick is backed by an experienced coaching staff that includes husband William, who has played flag football competitively for more than 15 years. Longtime soccer coach Johnny Avila is leading the JV.

Since renovations are ongoing at Guss Schmiedt Field, Manteca will hold practices and home games at Woodward Park. In fact, the Buffs are hosting a 16-team tournament — eight varsity, eight JV — Aug. 24 at Woodward Park. Manteca is playing its official games on that day.

“It’s going to be sink or swim,” Riddick said. “We implemented a little bit over the summer as far as defenses go, but really we’re starting from the bottom. Most of the players are very limited with their football knowledge, and we have only two girls (both freshmen) who have ever played the sport competitively.

“It’s more popular with the younger girls, as flag football is finding its place in sports. More girls are coming up with more exposure to it.”

East Union coach Steve Jackson is excited to be part of the growth. The former head coach for Weston Ranch’s football team plans to retire from teaching in the coming years, but before that happens, he wants to establish a solid foundation for the newest sports program on campus.

“I’ve coached for a long time and officiated for a long time, but my daughters never got an opportunity to play,” Jackson said. “These girls have that, and I can really see this expanding. I just want to establish something here before passing it on to the next coach, and we want to do this right.

“We’re doing things the same way (as traditional football). We do chalk talk before practice, and we’re using similar plays I’ve had to adjust because the rules are different, but the game is the game.”

Ashley Harrington and Steffany Zanini serve as varsity assistants, and Remberto Lopez is JV head coach for EU.

Jackson said he has had to cut players at the varsity level with about 45-50 consistently attending summer workouts. He anticipates late arrivals from the lower classes to fill out the JV.

“It’s very different and a little nerve wracking, because this is not a sport I grew up playing,” East Union junior Caliyah Lopez said. “Most of these girls are new and we’re all learning together, but it’s a great environment and we’re all pretty excited.”

Like most, if not all, other players giving flag football a try in the area, Lopez has developed athletically in other sports. She’s a two-year varsity softball player at EU and also has two years of JV basketball experience.

Ripon coach Louis Rivera sees the transferable skills from other sports in his players. With wife Lori helping as an assistant and Mario Sanchez coaching the JV, Rivera’s program has almost 30 players total.

“These girls are competitors,” Rivera said. “They’re having to learn a new sport and they’re learning quick. I have girls who can fly, they can catch — they’re impressive.

“I never thought I’d be into it as much as I am,” he added. “These girls got me. Their energy, their effort and their attitude has been phenomenal.”

The Section had just nine leagues in its inaugural season for flag football. Sierra and Central Catholic were the only Valley Oak League schools with teams, so they had to compete in the Division I Tri-City Athletic League.

There were 32 playoff qualifiers split between two enrollment-based brackets. Del Oro (Division I) and Christian Brothers (D-II) are the first SJS flag football champions. Both Sierra and Lathrop finished with 4-10 records in their first seasons, but they have a head start over many of their rivals in the region.

Now, there are 19 leagues in the Section. East Union, Manteca and Sierra is in the VOL as they are in other sports. Lathrop remains in the Western Athletic Conference, and Ripon in the Trans-Valley League.  The SJS postseason has expanded to four 16-team brackets.