EVERETT — Monroe girls flag football had its back against the wall at Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday.
Squalicum had shrunk Monroe’s 21-0 lead down to 21-14 before getting the ball back late with a chance to tie it up. Monroe needed to make one big stop to prevent things from unraveling.
Starting outside its own end zone, Squalicum’s quarterback launched a pass to midfield, looking to pick up a big gain and dial up momentum for the potential game-tying drive, and it completed. Just not into the right set of hands.
Monroe junior Chloe Moyes hauled in the interception and charged the other way, weaving through Squalicum players to reach the end zone with her flags untouched to extend the lead to 28-14.
“Just being able to read the (Squalicum offense) from the end, and knowing where they’re going to go next really helped me through it,” Moyes said. “And knowing that I have people behind me, knowing that they have my back. … It was just excitement. I was so hyped.”
The timely pick-six all but iced the game for the Bearcats (6-3), their second win of the evening as they swept their slate at the Seattle Seahawks flag football takeover.
In an effort to “support and amplify” flag football in western Washington, the Seahawks Community Engagement team descended on Everett to host a “Takeover Event” for Monroe, Jackson, Squalicum and Ferndale. Fans received Seahawks-themed giveaway items and took part in pregame festivities, but the real treat belonged to the players on the field.
Former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Garry Gilliam poses with the Jackson girls flag football team at Everett Memorial Stadium on Jan. 7, 2026. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Former Seahawk Garry Gilliam, who played for the team from 2014-16 and is perhaps best known for his touchdown reception on a fake field goal attempt in Seattle’s 28-22 win against the Green Bay Packers in the 2015 NFC Championship, took photos and shared words with each team. After passing out Seahawks Flag Football t-shirts to each player, Gilliam and Seahawks mascot, Blitz, took part in the pregame coin toss.
In the first set of games — Monroe vs. Ferndale and Jackson vs. Squalicum — the winning coach received a ‘Coach of the Game’ football as well as a $1,000 donation for their program. With the Bearcats’ 21-14 win against the Golden Eagles, coach Connor Wood earned the coveted football.
“It’s huge having a great team like that supporting such a new sport, but such a fast-growing sport,” Wood said. “With the fundraising that they’re doing, with the donations to the teams, helping support local teams, it’s been absolutely fantastic. Loved having them out here for today, for creating that really cool aspect of this game. So that was a really cool thing for these girls to kind of build up in their heads as a really cool thing to do this season.”
Monroe girls flag football coach Connor Wood poses with the Coach of the Game football, which he received along with a $1,000 donation to the Bearcats program after they defeated Ferndale 21-14 at the Seattle Seahawks takeover event at Everett Memorial Stadium on Jan. 7, 2026. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
For the coaches and organizers behind the scenes, Wednesday marked a positive step for a sport that continues to build momentum in the area. For the players getting to compete for $1,000 and meet a former Seahawk, it was an experience of a lifetime.
“It was awesome to see them take the time out of their day and to come and watch us,” said Monroe sophomore Tenny Oylear, who highlighted the night with a 45-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Betzy Garcia down the left sideline in the win against Squalicum. “It’s really cool our coach got the football, and we got the t-shirts. I’m just super grateful to be here.”
On the other side, Jackson lost 7-0 to Squalicum, but finished the night with a 35-7 win over Ferndale. Despite missing out on the donation, the Timberwolves received the biggest fan turnout in their home stadium. With just a few days notice, a large group of Jackson students planned an unofficial doubleheader to attend the girls flag football game at 4:30 before migrating to the school for the boys basketball game against Arlington at 7:15.
“This is one of those things that creates that energy that we want to try to build off of,” Jackson coach Ryan Simmons said. “…(The students) being here and experiencing it and seeing what we’re doing, that means the next time that we’re going to have a student section.”
Jackson head coach Ryan Simmons leads the team in a cheer at halftime during the game against Squalicum on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
While only the winning teams in the first set of games received the donations, the Seahawks have committed “close to half a million dollars worth of grants” to help teams around the area get started, according to Mario Bailey, the Seahawks’ Vice President of Community Engagement & Legends.
After his legendary playing career at the University of Washington and in NFL Europe, Bailey coached at his alma mater, Franklin High School, from 2004-08. He’s using that experience to inform decisions on how to best support the growing sport.
“Being a high school coach taught me a lot,” Bailey said. “It taught me all the resources that people need. Like as a high school coach, I was a mentor. I was a dad, an uncle, a best friend. So I know what the girls need in high school sports, so I’m just there to kind of tell our organization the different resources that I think the girls will need.”
Those needs include the flag belts, uniforms and cleats, which the grants are funding. With more traction and increasing support, the goal is to provide more schools the opportunity to start a program of their own, and in doing so provide more opportunities for girls looking to get involved in a winter sport.
Jackson’s Clara Morgan runs the football during the game against Squalicum on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
While the Seahawks took over Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, Bailey hopes it marks the first steps towards taking over Exposition Park Stadium during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where men’s and women’s football will make their debut.
“You have to start somewhere,” Bailey said. “You have to start in high school. Preferably it would start before then, but to have it as a sanctioned sport so girls can get scholarships and be able to play in the Olympics. Our goal is to try to have somebody on that 2028 Olympic team, if not in 2032.”
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