Head Coach Sue Dutka wondered how her team would respond.
The Archbishop Ryan junior prom was held Friday night. The Raiders were scheduled to travel to face Philadelphia Catholic League rival West Catholic in their final regular-season showdown of the girls flag football season.
There hasn't been much to slow down the Raiders this season, so it should have come as no surprise that Archbishop Ryan was focused and ready to go. The Raiders delivered a convincing 39-6 victory to finish in a three-way tie atop the PCL with a 10-1 record, the best in school history.
The Raiders are in good company.
They defeated Lansdale Catholic, the inaugural champions of the Eagles Girls Flag Football League of Pennsylvania, for the first time this season. Their lone loss came at the hands of Archbishop Wood, the defending state champions.
Despite leading the PCL in both points scored and points allowed, the Raiders are the No. 2 seed for the PCL Conference Tournament, which begins this week, based on point differential in the games between the three teams. The winner of the PCL will earn one of the four automatic bids to the Eagles Girls Flag Football League of Pennsylvania Championship, which will be held at the NovaCare Complex on Saturday, May 31.
"It's been nothing short of magic, to be honest," said Dutka, who is the Eagles Girls Flag Football Coach of the Week. "I don't have enough words to describe what this season's been. I'm so proud of them. They're so passionate. They're so into it. They love everything about it. They love the sport, they love the team. These girls have bonded so well that they can conquer the world."
Dutka grew up in Fox Chase and has been involved with the Southampton Knights Youth Football program for close to a decade as a board member for the tackle circuit in the fall and a coach for the co-ed flag football team in the spring. When the Eagles announced the launch of their Girls Flag Football League in 2022, Dutka reached out to Ryan, where her daughter, Kimberly Donnelly, was transferring for the start of her sophomore year. Dutka persuaded the school's officials that she would do all of the legwork to get the program started. Her daughter initially was a part of the softball team, but after seeing the fun that the flag football players were having with her mom, she switched over.
Dutka credits this season's success to the five seniors who were a part of that opening squad – Drew Bark, Frankie Brunkel, Kait Cannon, Alexis Tina McLeod, and Arianna Shinholster. In total, Ryan boasts nine seniors with the aforementioned players above and Alexis Byrne, Tiffany Chen, Willette Makor, and Jaide Quarles.
"When you have girls that you've been able to develop over so many years and build bonds and friendships with all of these newer girls coming in, it just makes all of the difference in the world," Dutka said. "They're all such great role models. We've had girls stand up and talk about how joining this team has changed their life, and how they have had the best experience of their life on this team and with this sport and with everything else that comes with it. Sure, winning games is great, but the bond that the girls have built has just been so fun to watch."
Dutka's daughter has since graduated, but the head coach has no intention of leaving her post anytime soon.
"It's such a great school. We have such a great support system," Dutka said. "I'll stay because you just love the girls and their energy."
There's no offseason in the Dutka household. Her husband, Bohdan, assists at Archbishop Ryan and also coaches through the Southampton Knights youth football program. She formed the Air Raiders flag football team that participates in competitive tournaments to gain exposure and additional experience. She will also assist another Eagles Girls Flag Football Coach of the Week, Tim Quinn from Gwynedd Mercy, with the Big 33 Girls Flag Football Tournament on Memorial Day Weekend.
Growing up in an Eagles-obsessed household, Dutka can't envision a better life than helping inspire and develop girls in one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
