LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Since Nevada became the second state to make girls flag football a sanctioned high school sport in 2016, no team has dominated the field like Shadow Ridge.
The Mustangs have established themselves as the standard in the Silver State, winning three straight 5A state championships. They're the first and only team to earn 5A titles since flag football championships began in the state's highest classification in 2021-22 school year.
Shadow Ridge's record over that three-season span is 67-8 with a league record of 33-2. The team has not lost a road game since January of 2020. The Mustangs' average score in the playoffs, including state championship games, has been 25-6. They've never given up more than two scores in a playoff game and never won by less than two scores.
This past season, the team beat everyone on their schedule, avenging their earlier losses in the postseason. They beat the state champions in 4A and 3A, shutting both of them out, proving to be the true Nevada state champ.
For the second time in three years, the Mustangs were named national champions in the final MaxPreps rankings from the 2023-24 season. Shadow Ridge also won the 5A Academic State Championship this past season, having the highest average GPA of any flag football team in 5A.
Channel 13's Nick Walters went to the Mustangs' stomping grounds for a summer camp to hear from the team on their success and the growth of flag football in the Valley.
“I try to remind them, each year you’re your own team," said 10-year head coach Matt Nighswonger, a former player and long-time tackle football coach. "I think the girls have really bought into and enjoyed being coached as I would coach the boys. We watch film, we study our opponents, we scout our opponents, I treat them as any other football player. I think that really helps.”
Watch the full interview with Coach Nighswonger here:
“To get back-to-back was one thing," said All-State rising junior Mariah Stevens-Walden. "But to get back to back to back, I think it took a lot of people by surprise. Like, oh, they really just did that three times... We’ve grown tremendously. In-season, everybody’s on our backs, so to keep that for three years, I think it’s pretty cool we were able to maintain the Nevada state championship."
“You have a lot of pressure on you, like a target, which I actually think is pretty cool," fellow All-State rising junior Jaylani Palmer said. "It’s not only a sport. It’s like a heartwarming, welcoming thing to do. Like a hobby, almost.”
“It pushes us to want to do better and be better," Stevens-Walden said. "Knowing we have a target on our back, we push each other when we’re practicing. And when it comes down to the playing time and in-game, we all want to dog out and try to come out on top.”
Shadow Ridge has an all-time playoff record of 15-4 and has played in four out of the seven total state championships.
The Mustangs' winning ways is a microcosm of Nevada becoming one of the nation's top states for girls flag football, an Olympic sport beginning in 2028.
The more trophies Shadow Ridge hoists, the better participation the team has seen from incoming grades.
“I would say it’s inspired a lot of young female athletes to try to come out and do something that’s not typically common for girls to play," Stevens-Walden said. "It’s not dance or gymnastics or volleyball. It’s a sport that a lot of people look to as only a men’s sport."
"I’ve seen a lot of more club teams for girls," Palmer said. "I think it’s become a more welcoming sport for girls now. The people encourage you to come out, it’s fun, something to learn. These coaches out here encourage you to try harder and be better every day."
“We’ve gotten a lot of athletes from the soccer team, the volleyball team, from softball and track in the spring," Nighswonger said. "We have more girls trying out now than we did four years ago, definitely.”
"I love the family and the friendship you build," Stevens-Walden continued. "It's definitely the bond that keeps me coming back."
