As girls high school flag football has continued to grow across New Jersey, so too has Harrison’s status as one of the state’s premier programs.
The Phil Simms NJ North/South All-Star Girls Flag Football Game on June 8 was undeniable proof of that as Blue Tide stars Rebecca Sardinha, Mya De Jesus and Hailey Scocco were selected to play in the game and Harrison head coach Dan Nankivell was the head coach for the North team in the now annual event at Kean University.
North Arlington senior Kyra Garcia was also selected for the game, which the North team won by a score of 6-0.
“Having three girls selected is amazing and I think that all three of them were definitely deserving,” said Nankivell. “Rebecca and Hailey had great careers and we’re going to miss them.”
Sardinha, a two-time North/South selection, was once again a terror rushing the passer last Sunday, recording two sacks. Such a performance came as no surprise to Nankivell, who saw her get 22 sacks this year as a senior. Sardinha, who earned Defensive MVP honors in last year’s game, finished her career with more than 50 sacks
“It’s always fun to watch Rebecca play. I joke with her all the time that she’s been striking fear into the hearts of quarterbacks since 2022,” Nankivell said. “She’s a great kid and she’s one of those kids that everybody who’s ever had the opportunity to meet her roots for her. She goes out of her way to help younger players reach their potential.”
Despite Harrison’s run-heavy approach on offense, Scocco made a name for herself at quarterback, throwing for 34 touchdowns these past three seasons, while also being a running threat herself and playing in the secondary on defense.
“I tell her all the time she is one of the greatest quarterbacks I’ve ever coached, whether it was girls or boys,” said Nankivell, himself a former Blue Tide signal caller. “ She’s smart, she understands the chess match that is football.”
De Jesus, the lone junior of the group, has also been a standout two-way player for Harrison during this three-year run in which it went 27-3-1 and won the 2024 NJIC title.
“Mya, we’re fortunate enough to have back for one more year,” Nankivell said. “She’s another dynamic player on both sides of the ball.”
De Jesus, who ran for a team-best 405 yards during the season, played primarily at middle linebacker in the North/South Game, where she made multiple big plays.
Arguably the biggest play from The Observer-area selections came from Garcia when she had a red zone interception late in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
A four-sport standout, Garcia truly did it all for North Arlington this spring, leading the Vikings in passing (795 yards and 13 touchdowns), rushing (282 yards, tackles (36) and interceptions.
“She’s an A-Plus kid and a great athlete,” said Nankivell. “Just looking at her stats this year, it’s kind of wild. We saw them in the regular season and had to game plan for her because she can just take over a game.”
Nankivell has been a part of all three North/South games, dating back to the original one, which was held at halftime of the boys game. Since then it has grown into its own separate game, the first part of a double-header.
This year saw a record 130 New Jersey teams compete, a group that also includes Lyndhurst and Nutley. Next year is set to be the first season where flag football is formally sanctioned by the NJSIAA.
“The level of competition has gotten significantly better and if you told me four years ago this is where we would be as a sport, I would think you’re kind of nuts,” Nankivell said. “The fact that it is growing so quickly and that the level of competition has reached where it currently is, is great.”
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)