Local women’s football team features La Conner talent

Local moms are tackling a sport once blocked to young women.

La Conner High School alum Bobbi Carlson Crawford and former La Conner business owner Liz Vargas have suited up several seasons for the Mount Vernon Warriors women’s football team, whose schedule this spring included a game against the semi-pro Seattle Spartans.

The Skagit County team, launched four years ago as a fundraising vehicle for area youth sports, plays what can best be described as a tough brand of flag football.

“We actually play in full pads and helmet,” Vargas, a team captain and three-year veteran, told the Weekly News. “It’s what’s called ‘flackle.’ It’s aggressive and mostly hitting with some occasional flag pulling.”

Vargas, who alongside her husband, John, previously co-owned and operated The Pantry restaurant on Morris Street---forerunner to The Slider Café – is now a real estate agent with a bachelor’s degree in geography from Western Washington University.

Each April her turf expands to include the gridiron.

“Most of us are juggling work, families, kids in sports and volunteering,” Vargas explained, “and this is just an outlet for us to dedicate a few hours a week to ourselves. And after eight grueling weeks and three football games, you look back and can say ‘I just did that! It’s pretty amazing.”

Crawford can relate.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand why we would put ourselves out there risking injuries,” she said, “but the bonding that happens on and off the field is an amazing experience.”

Family support has been equally rewarding, said Crawford.

“My husband and kids have been excited and supportive,” she said, “as well as some of my siblings. A couple of my siblings even brought my mom who was very sick from chemotherapy to watch our first game from the car – though she ended up glued to the fence to watch the whole game.”

Crawford has been with the Warriors since their inception. During those four years she has played wide receiver, defensive back and on special teams.

During the season, which runs from mid-April to early June, the Warriors log about eight hours per week on the practice field, guided by a staff led by head coach Epi Sedano.

“This was Epi’s baby,” said Crawford, one of barely more than a dozen players who turned out for the Warriors’ inaugural campaign.

“At first we didn’t know if we were going to be able to come up with enough players,” she recalled, “but by the start of the season I think we had about 15. We all had to play most of the time in all of the games.”

Both Vargas and Crawford grew up with a passion for football, a sport banned to girls in many states at the high school level between the 1940s and passage in 1972 of Title IX legislation prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any school or educational program receiving federal money.

Even so, less than 2,500 girls played high school tackle football in the U.S. as recently as 2018, according to a survey conducted by the National Football League.

Crawford said the Warriors have allowed her to make up for a lost opportunity.

“I have wanted to play football since I was a kid watching my big brother play,” she said. “Another La Conner mom, Tera Forkner, messaged me about Mount Vernon wanting to start a mom’s flag football team to raise money for youth sports.”

Crawford and Forkner were joined in the Warriors lineup that first season by Vanessa McLeod, also of La Conner. Vargas watched the La Conner trio and their teammates from the sideline and knew she, too, wanted to be on the roster.

“I always played sports growing up,” Vargas said, “and after I watched one of their games the first year, I knew I wanted to join. I grew up around football. I wanted to show my kids that you can do anything if you just put your heart into it.”

Since then, Vargas has been in the thick of the action – seeing playing time at center, nose guard and as long snapper in the kicking game.

“I haven’t had any injuries,” she said. “And as a team we’ve only had a few. We’ve had normal injuries like pulled muscles and ankle sprains. In 2019, we had two ladies break their fingers in games and finished playing. This year our quarterback broke her wrist.”

The 2019 season saw the Warriors go undefeated behind a stout defensive unit. The 2020 schedule, however, was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic and this year’s slate was in doubt for a time.

Getting the all-clear to start practice was welcome news.

“This year,” said Crawford, “we had so many new players joining fairly last minute and it was great seeing each new talent show up and pour their hearts into it.”

Against the Spartans June 5 at Frank Goddard Memorial Stadium in Everett, the Mount Vernon team played a full contact tackle game. Though they lost 28-0, the Warriors still emerged winners. Ticket sales helped raise over $1,000 for the Mount Vernon Wrestling Association.

“It may not have been a win,” Jackie Jette, another third-year Warriors team captain said afterward, “but I’m proud of every single woman out there. We played our hearts out.”

Crawford, like Vargas, has eluded serious injury. She suffered bad bruising to one leg while tackling leading up to the Spartan game – which was the Warriors season finale – but was still able to play.

“The first year,” said Crawford, “I had pulled hamstrings in both legs, but this year I stuck to bruises.”

The aches and pains are well worth it, she and Vargas said.

“The best part of being on this football team is the friendships and bonds that are made,” said Vargas. “It is truly something special.”

Crawford agreed.

“Our coaches are all great and supportive,” she said. “We have a chant where someone yells: ‘Whose got my back!’ Then everyone yells: ‘I’ve got your back!’ And we know they mean it.”

Sad to see the Warriors season end, Vargas is looking into new challenges between now and next April.

“Now that football season is over for me,” she said, “I’m looking to find a place to do some kickboxing.”