With last year’s 9-7 overall record and 5-4 in League, the West Ranch girls’ flag football team has greatly improved their record and grew throughout their games in the 2025-2026 season. The team consisted of 21 players and two coaches dedicated to reaching their goals and building on last year’s progress.
With high hopes, the head coach, Mark Hornberger and the team have taken many steps and a lot of time to prepare for this year’s season: “Strategies start in training camp, from the very beginning of May, getting everybody on the same page with route running, getting the quarterback and receiver timing,” he explained. The coach shows that there is more than just simple “strategies” required in training. It’s important to reroute everyone and keep each other on the same pace for future games.
An essential part of being in the varsity flag football team is consistent practice and recovery for future games. Players prepare in a variety of ways. For example, Viviana Sanchez, a freshman and linebacker, says that she trains hard for future games that require her all: “I train for upcoming games by doing my best to give my all in practice and doing a lot of agility outside of team practices.” For noticeable improvement, players practice and dedicate their free time to improve their skills. They also have to balance their time for sports and for academics.
Not only does flag football provide a beneficial high school sports experience, it also provides opportunities to build many friendships: “Being part of the team has helped me find more friends that I talk to and hang out with more people. [It] builds good connections around and you’ll just have more support behind your back,” sophomore Kara Carnes explained, a quarterback and wide receiver for the flag football team. The healthy dynamic of the team provided Carnes with the opportunity to meet new people and receive support from her teammates.
With a win-to-loss ratio of 17-4 and 12-2 in league , the team placed 1st in league, 103rd nationally, and 53rd in state. Through lots of team synergy, the girls also qualified for the CIF Division IV finals. The team put a lot of effort into improving their skills through training and practicing their timing with each other. The girls are looking forward to winning more games for West Ranch and continuing their incredible journey to success next season.
