Fallon NFL flag football team advances to championship

STEVE RANSON, sranson@lahontanvalleynews.com
October 28, 2005

Football is becoming a way of life in the Dahl household. -NFL Football-

First, Harvey Dahl, a 1999 Churchill County High School graduate, competed in high school and college football, and now plays on the practice squad for the San Francisco 49ers. -NFL Football-

Now, his 14-year-old niece Sara Parsons, an eighth grade junior high school student, has discovered the thrill of victory on the gridiron. -NFL Football-

Parsons and her teammates from the NFL Fallon Flag Football League won the 2005 regional tournament against a team that has qualified for nationals two consecutive years. -NFL Football-

Fallon's 12-to-14 girls' team won their regional bracket Saturday by defeating the Rocklin (Calif.) Saints in the best of three-game series. Fallon won the first and third games while dropping the second by one point at the 49ers training facility in Santa Clara, Calif. -NFL Football-

Fallon travels to the national championships next month at Disney World. -NFL Football-

"It's been fun. It's awesome," Parsons said of the team's win. -NFL Football-

Although NFL flag football has been in existence for years, this is the first year Fallon has had a program. -NFL Football-

Parsons said winning the regional championship was fun for the all-girl team. -NFL Football-

"I like playing with my friends and against the competition," she said. -NFL Football-

The 10 girls on the Fallon team also had an extra treat when they played Rocklin. Dahl attended the games which excited the team. -NFL Football-

"It was really cool," Parsons said of her uncle's attendance. -NFL Football-

She said her uncle just watched the game and cheered for the Fallon girls, but he didn't give them any pointers. -NFL Football-

Parsons said she has always enjoyed playing football whether it's on the flag football team or with her 11-year-old brother on the front lawn. -NFL Football-

Co-coach Scott Meihack said coaching this year's team of 10 girls has been an experience he won't soon forget. When the team travels to Florida for the championship, he said the girls will still have some fun, but they must focus on their purpose. -NFL Football-

"We're going down there to play flag football. The task is to make sure the girls fully understand that," he said. -NFL Football-

However, Meihack said the girls will also enjoy their visit to Disney World. -NFL Football-

Tami Peel, the team's other coach, said flag football is new territory for the coaches and team. -NFL Football-

Both Peel and Meihack coached two state championship softball teams together, and now they have ventured into a new program. -NFL Football-

Instead of playing for a state title, Peel said Fallon will be in the national spotlight. If Fallon wins its first game, then the team's next game will be televised on ESPN. -NFL Football-

The players on the team have known each other for years. -NFL Football-

Jenny Rechel, a 12-year-old sixth grader at Northside, said she was thrilled about the program and the chance to go to Florida. -NFL Football-

Rechel had a key interception in the final game of the regionals. Her interception stopped the Saints from scoring a potential go-ahead touchdown. -NFL Football-

"I was covering a person. The ball went over my head, but I jumped up and caught it," Rechel said of her play. -NFL Football-

"We're gong to nationals. We're just freakin' out," Shelby Lee chimed in. -NFL Football-

The Fallon eighth grade said many of the girls have never been to Florida. -NFL Football-

Both Chelsea Smitten and Alyssa Meihack said this year's experience has been exciting. -NFL Football-

"This has been really fun," Smitten said, adding that she may play tackle football next year. -NFL Football-

Meihack said the Saints were a really good team. She is excited, though, that Fallon won the regionals and will now be competing in Florida. -NFL Football-

Scott Meihack said the NFL flag football program is paying for the airfare and most of the expenses. However, he said the team must pay for an extra night of lodging for an extra day. The team will be competing in a skills competition and must fly to Orlando a day early. -NFL Football-

The team will have a car wash Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Smedley's. -NFL Football-

Roster

Olivia Dillon

Celeste Llamas

Alyssa Meihack

Sarah Owen

Sara Parsons

Jennifer Rechel

Shelby Lee

Chelsea Smitten

Kaitlynn Szentimrey

Mercedes Weeks