Bay Area flag football, NFL stars light up Super Bowl LX at glow-in-the-dark Toyota Glow-Up Classic
SAN FRANCISCO — A common refrain was parroted across the field at the Toyota Glow-Up Classic on Wednesday night.
“Did you ever think this was possible?”
A Bay Area flag football all-star game held on the same field as the NFL Pro Bowl. The best high school players from the area gathered together to celebrate a sport that has seen explosive growth since being introduced to varsity competition three years ago.
NFL stars coaching the teams, and Eli Manning serving as a referee.
None of it was taken for granted by the 20 players from the extended Bay Area who played in the game, and that gratitude extended off the field to the coaches, players’ families and spectators at large.
Never has it been clearer that high school flag football is not just a short-term phenomenon. With the support of the NFL and rapidly growing participation nationwide, the girls’ game is here to stay.
“It is literally the coolest experience in my life,” said Pink team quarterback Riley Harrington, a junior at Amador Valley High. “I’ve probably said that 100 times tonight. To play with people from all over the Bay Area, see the different talents, learn different things from each one of the girls, different speeds, different footwork, different catching styles, literally all the different skills from all over the Bay Area, it’s honestly so cool.”
While wearing a glow-in-the-dark jersey, Harrington threw a touchdown pass to Gigi Torres of Manteca High, leading the Pink team to a 19-6 victory over the Green team.
Branham senior Aubree Rosenblum scored the other TD for the Pink team, returning an interception about 20 yards to the house to effectively put the game on ice.
“I never could have imagined this,” Rosenblum said. “Ever. If you had told me two years ago that I would be playing with the 49ers in this, I would not believe you. It was super fun getting to meet the players and getting to meet my teammates.”
The Green team got on the board when Sacred Heart Prep quarterback Ryleigh Longaker, who made multiple dynamic plays in the open field, found Notre Dame-San Jose’s Isela Trujillo for a touchdown pass.
“Everything has been so surreal since getting here,” Trujillo said. “Knowing that Pro Bowlers have been here, seeing Eli Manning and all of these NFL players, it’s just amazing. I’m so glad that we get this opportunity to play flag football. It’s such an honor being able to share the field with all of these athletes.”
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who has a 6-month-old daughter, coached the Pink team to victory and said mentoring the high schoolers makes him envision the sporting possibilities for her.
“It’s fun just to be able to do something and coach and help when a girl loves to do what they’re doing in a sport,” Purdy said. “So to be out here and see how excited these girls are and how competitive they are, it gets me excited for my daughter as she grows up, too.”
That’s the future. Which, at the current rate of growth, is hard to imagine for flag football.
And the present isn’t just bright.
It’s glowing.
“This is just so cool,” said Menlo School quarterback Ava Allen, who played QB, receiver and corner for the Pink team. “Being here with NFL players, seeing people that we watch on TV coach us and want to be here with us, I’m so thrilled to see how much the sport has grown.”
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