MONTEREY >> The infant stages of the game created a surge in interest last fall not seen in any other girls’ sport since perhaps Title IX was enacted in 1972.

The inclusion of flag football by the California Interscholastic Federation fueled a rush of participation that continues to soar in high schools throughout the state.

Athletes from other sports, as well as students who had never participated in sports, continue to want to be part of a sport that’s growing by the thousands each year.

“The sport has been around for a long time, just not as a CIF sport,” Carmel coach Phil Johnston said. “The sport showcases so many different skills that girls don’t get to show in other sports.”

With more schools adding flag football this fall in the local Pacific Coast Athletic League and Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, the game is no longer viewed as just an exhibition sport. There will be 19 schools divided into two divisions this season in the PCAL and six in the SCCAL, with teams in the Gabilan Division composed of varsity and junior varsity programs and Mission Division teams fielding just varsity.

Johnston is doing double duty this fall, coaching the girls’ team, while also being the offensive coordinator for Carmel’s junior varsity boys’ football team.

“It’s a lot,” Johnston said. “I joined late. I felt I could have been more prepared. But the girls are learning super quick. They are eager. And it looks like they are having so much fun doing it.”

The turnouts have been so big at some schools — 85 players at Hollister and more than 50 at Salinas — that some players had to be cut, as only seven can be on the field at once.

“I have three girls that are in the process of trying out for the United States 16- and 18-under digital combine teams,” Salinas coach Kalah Ishimaru said. “If they receive an invite, they will be selected to the live event.”

An invitation would make players candidates for selection to the U.S. Olympic team, as flag football will become an Olympic sport in the summer of 2028.“Not all of our players have the football IQ right now or the infrastructure,” Ishimaru said. “You have to give them skills and progress through. You have to have parents that are understanding. It’s still relatively new to most kids. I emphasize it’s like riding a bike for the first time. You’re likely going to fall.”

More than 80 schools will have flag football this year in the Central Coast Section, which is expected to adopt a playoff system in 2025.

“I had a lot of fun doing it last year, growing into a receiver,” Monterey’s Eastin Jennings said. “It’s such a different experience. I just really like all the kids. No drama.”

The growth of the game has seen grants awarded to schools in California to purchase uniforms. The 49ers even put on a clinic last summer at Alvarez High.

“There is a learning curve,” King City coach Brent Slama said. “Most have never played it. There is a playbook to learn. But these girls soak up everything. The game is going to really evolve in the next few years.”

In an effort to accommodate the interest without the fear of losing kids from other fall sports, some schools are allowing athletes to play multiple sports in the fall.

Last year Jennings participated in both volleyball and flag football before deciding this year to focus on one sport.

“It kind of came down to schedules,” Jennings said. “I was conflicted. I’ve played volleyball since my freshman year. But I have so much more fun out here. And I get to play with my sister.”

Flag football is affecting other fall sports. North Salinas was forced to drop field hockey, a sport it has offered for more than four decades, because of a lack of participation.

“I have talked to all of our fall sport coaches,” Johnston said. “I told them I’m not trying to take your athletes. It’s not up to us. It’s 100 percent up to the girls. I didn’t want any animosity.”

As popular as it has become at Carmel with 30 girls signed up, it has not affected the status of any fall sports on campus. The school offers volleyball, tennis, golf, field hockey, cross country and water polo for girls.

“I didn’t realize how much of a turnout we’d have,” Johnston said. “We have enough to field two teams. It was a level playing field last year. But there is much more buy-in this year.”

While it was more of a jamboree format last year, the Gabilan Division will play games once a week, while the Mission Division — with no JV programs — will lump three teams together, where they’ll play each other.

The field dimensions for flag football are slightly smaller than tackle football. The playing fields are 80 yards long and 40 yards wide, with a 24-minute running clock for each half. All seven players on the field are eligible to catch the ball.

“It’s allowing female athletes to show their skills in another sport,” said Monterey receiver Jenna Deese, who plays softball in the spring. “You have to learn to communicate, I just enjoy playing the game.”

Among the schools adding flag football this year is Palma, which also welcomed girls back to its campus for the first time in 60 years.

“I felt it was an option for us to have transfers coming in and be eligible right away,” Palma athletic director Rob Bishop said. “And we had a coach on campus already.”

The Chieftains, who will be in the Mission Division, have close to 20 girls taking part in their inaugural season.

“The only reason the divisions are broken up is most Mission Division teams have just one team or are in their first season,” Bishop said.

With postseason play starting next fall in the CCS, the PCAL will hold a 19-team tournament at the end of the season to determine divisions based on equity.

“That will give us data for next year,” Bishop said. “We’re trying to set it up so teams will be in the right divisions. We feel this will continue to grow. We anticipate more schools will join.”

Slama hopes that Gonzales will field a program next year to create a rivalry with King City that has existed on the football field for a century.

“Instead of playing for a megaphone like the boys do, we will dip into the 21st century and create a megaphone that looks like a cell phone and let kids take selfies with it,” laughed Slama.

Pacific Grove hopes to add the sport next fall. It elected not to field a team this year, partly due to changes in the administration.

“Last year there was some initial talk … ” first-year athletic director Dan Powers said. “I am not sure why it did not move forward. I was not there.”

Part of the concern is that Pacific Grove’s enrollment is down to 512 students, with more than 200 of them currently playing fall sports.

The Breakers offer girls water polo, tennis, golf, cross-country and volleyball — a sport that has three levels — in the fall.

“With our enrollment, how will it affect other sports?” Powers said. “I know there is interest. I believe it is in the works for the future.”

Some schools are challenged by the lack of facilities. Palma, Seaside, Alisal and North County are sharing a 100-yard football field daily.

Others simply don’t have the space. With field hockey and tackle football sharing the field at Monterey, flag football practices are held up the street at Via Paraiso Park.

Adding a little more spice to the sport is some schools are in discussions of playing under the lights on Friday between the JV and varsity boys football games.

“The vibe is going to be an incredible environment,” said Slama, who hopes to line up a game with Rancho San Juan under the lights. “It adds to the growth of the sport.”

A variety of athletes from soccer to track, softball, wrestling, basketball and even water polo are testing their talents in flag football.

“Our quarterbacks are usually softball players or a point guard in basketball,” Slama said. “The soccer and track athletes can run.”

Monterey has a handful of softball players dodging gopher holes at Via Paraiso Park, including highly-touted catcher Denae Lee, who is garnering interest from a handful of Division I schools.

While coaches are still allowing athletes to play two sports in the fall if they choose, Johnston says some fall athletes are making a full commitment to flag football.

“I’m not necessarily surprised,” Johnston said. “We have some amazing female athletes that have been waiting for this opportunity to play flag football for a long time.”