Name: Kayla Kersting

School: Yorkville, senior

Sport: Flag football

Why she was selected: Kersting scored a touchdown in a win over Oswego and two touchdowns in a win over Hersey.

She was selected the Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

How do you feel about your team’s season so far? Seems like you’re having a lot of success.

Kersting: We are having an amazing season so far, with a 10-1 record. The team is working hard, and we are building off of last year’s experience and culture. A huge part of our success is how close-knit our team is and our ability to have a lot of fun and stay locked in during practice and games. I’m excited to see where we go in the playoffs!

How exciting has it been to have the opportunity to play football again? You played tackle football growing up, right?

Kersting: Yeah, it has been great! I played two years of flag football and three years of tackle football growing up, so it’s truly special getting to play again my senior year. I’m somewhat getting the chance to “relive my childhood days!”

What do you like about flag football unique to other sports you’ve played like softball?

Kersting: I like that flag football is a new and quickly evolving high school girls’ sport. It gives me the ability to learn new skills and make new friends. I also really enjoy catching passes and scoring touchdowns!

What do you feel has made you a good flag football player?

Kersting: Definitely growing up around the sport! My dad played football at the University of Iowa and now coaches at Oswego, and my brother played football all throughout high school. I played a lot of catch with my brother and was exposed to a lot of the rules of the game!

What’s your goals for the rest of the season?

Kersting: Some goals I have are that we play to the best of our ability and go as far as possible in the postseason. A big focus for the team is to bring home a regional championship to the community of Yorkville. It is something that has never been done before, and we would love to make history for YHS!