There were plenty of firsts for the St. Charles North girls flag football players, who were the stars of the show during their historic game against Jacobs on Wednesday evening.

Whether it was the first touchdown pass, the first touchdown run or the first interception, St. Charles North dominated from start to finish, cruising for a 31-0 victory over a Jacobs squad that went 14-3 and won an IHSA regional championship last season.

It marked the first IHSA-sanctioned victory in girls flag football for the North Stars, who competed as a club last year before making the leap this year.

“It’s about the kids and their willingness to believe in what we’re doing,” SCN head coach Mike Taormina said. “These girls are new to football and many of them are first-time football players. They’re trusting the process and because of that, they’re going to see success on the field. There’s no doubt about that.”

Among the many standouts for the North Stars (1-0) on Wednesday was Rachel Watts, who snagged an interception midway through the first quarter to set the SCN offense up near midfield. It was the first of two interceptions in the game for Watts, whose team collected five of them in a shutout defensive effort.

“The girls have grown tremendously since we brought them out for tryouts,” Taormina said. “They had a pretty good understanding of the direction we wanted to go and the things we wanted to run as a group. They’ve been able to execute the game plan at a high level and I think the bar is very high for them.”

Shortly after the interception, SCN’s Alexzandria Richardson etched her name into the history book, bursting through the middle and sprinting for a 57-yard touchdown, the first touchdown in program history.

Richardson rushed for 88 yards and two scores on just three carries for the North Stars, who took a 13-0 lead on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Kaelie Tomalak to Elle Fuhr late in the first quarter.

“It’s history,” Tomalak said. “It’s awesome to know there will be girls playing years from now who will think about this game. ... I love being with my team and we’re all supportive of each other. We were all ready to go and the energy was flowing. Everyone was a little nervous before the game, but it was a good nervous.”

Jacobs (0-2) moved the ball well during the second quarter, capitalizing on short passes from quarterback Olivia Fillipp, who finished with 104 yards through the air. But a turnover doomed a promising drive, as Richardson pulled down an interception on a pass into double coverage for the SCN turnover.

Despite a 27-yard pass from Olivia Taormina to Fuhr late in the second quarter, Jacobs managed to keep the North Stars within two scores at halftime. The Golden Eagles started the third quarter with the ball, but more turnovers proved costly, as Tomalak snatched SCN’s third interception of the game just two minutes into the quarter.

“This was the first game and it’s going to bring confidence for everyone, including myself,” Tomalak said. “It’s going to help us move forward and be even better. ... We’re all having so much fun and it’s never been anyone’s main sport, but everyone we have is so talented and giving their all, whether its by learning plays, coming to practice or showing up early. The sport brings challenges physically, but it’s also a mental game. It’s going to make people stronger.”

Tomalak shined on both sides of the ball, finishing with 77 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding six catches for 95 yards and a score. Olivia Taormina, who led SCN with 119 passing yards, helped the North Stars take a 25-0 lead with a 34-yard touchdown strike to Tomalak late in the third quarter.

SCN’s third quarter highlights included an 18-yard touchdown run from Richardson as well as an interception by Brianna Leycock, who showed poise and concentration to reel in a deflected pass from Fillipp. The North Stars capped off their historic win with a short 7-yard touchdown pass from Tomalak to Taormina with 9:47 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“Jacobs is a very physical and well-coached team,” Mike Taormina said. “Our girls stepped up. We knew they were going to run a spread offense and our girls were going to have to cover a lot of ground. We conditioned them to be prepared and they showed how well they worked to have this moment.”

Brianna VerBurg compiled 82 total yards on the Jacobs side, rushing for 42 yards and snatching four catches for 40 yards. Jasmine Lenth caught five passes for 40 yards to aid the Golden Eagles in the loss.

https://www.shawlocal.com/friday-night-drive/girls-flag-football/2025/08/28/st-charles-north-earns-historic-flag-football-victory/