When the WPIAL’s inaugural girls flag football playoffs begin Tuesday, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart will be on the sidelines and not on the field.
But the Chargers made major strides in their third season of existence and the first WPIAL-sanctioned season for the up-and-coming sport.
This year, OLSH showed significant progress, improving on last season’s 2-7 record by going 5-8 overall and in Section 4 play. That put the Chargers in ninth place among 14 teams in the section.
OLSH coach Nick Militzer said that his team’s progress throughout the last three years has been good, and the team is excited to grow even more next season.
This season’s team was led by senior quarterback Lola Garner, a well-rounded student athlete who excels in the classroom as well as outside the classroom.
Militzer, in his second season as Chargers coach, spoke about Garner’s competitive nature.
“She is hard on herself a lot in a positive way,” he said. “She always wants to be better and to help her teammates be better.”
Garner, who plans to attend Duquesne University after graduating from OLSH, originally began playing flag football as something fun to do with her friends. However, she quickly grew to become one of the top leaders on the Chargers team.
That’s not an accident.
“For all the sports I played, I see the importance of being a good leader, especially as a senior,” said Garner, who also played volleyball and basketball while at OLSH.
“I tend to lead more by example rather than being vocal.”
Militzer spoke highly of Garner’s abilities to show the way for her teammates.
“She’s good leader, and losing that will leave a void,” he said.
The good news for the Chargers is that they likely will have someone to fill that void next season.
That would be Jules Goshen, a freshman at OLSH in her first season playing flag football.
Goshen, who also ran cross country and played basketball during her freshman year, said she originally joined the flag football team just for something fun to do. However, she did not realize just how quickly she was able to pick it up and be skilled at it.
Goshen has already been in touch with collegiate coaches about possibly getting scholarships to play flag football.
Militzer spoke about how much of an ambassador Goshen has become already, saying that her play is “attracting other students that want to play by seeing her success right out of the gate.”
As for the future of OLSH flag football, Goshen is focusing on developing her skills even more in her next three years. She believes in the future of the team and thinks that the Chargers will keep improving.
With this 2025 girls flag football season finished for OLSH, the future is looking bright for the team next year and beyond.
This is a great look at the growth of a developing program and the rising impact of girls flag football. It’s impressive to see how OLSH has progressed over just three seasons, especially in their first year competing in a sanctioned league. The improvement in record really reflects the team’s dedication and coaching effort. I also like how you highlighted leadership, particularly Lola Garner’s example and the potential of younger players like Jules Goshen. It shows a strong foundation for the future, and it will be exciting to see how the team continues to evolve next season.