The Rhinebeck High School varsity girls flag football players are determined to keep hold of their Section IX championship. The Hawks are off to a 3-0 start entering home games on Wednesday, April 15, against Highland and Friday, April 17, versus Millbrook.
Junior co-captains Gwen Dampf and Paige Boehm lead a young roster that lost more than 10 seniors to graduation and has only one senior on this year’s roster, Macilyn Eighmy. There are four freshmen and three eighth graders on the roster.
“We have a lot of young, new talent on the team,” said Dampf. “It’s been really fun and interesting to see everyone learn to play a game that I’ve loved and played for so long.
“Though some people might call this a little bit of a rebuilding year, I’d say we’re pretty far from that, and I think our talent is going to take us a long way. It’s really promising and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Dampf leads the offense from the quarterback position, and Boehm is a rusher on defense. In 2025, the offense scored 32 or more points in seven of its eight regular-season wins, and the defense allowed 26 points in its nine regular-season games.
This year’s games have been more competitive with the Hawks defeating Our Lady of Lourdes by a point and Saugerties by seven points. Rhinebeck has allowed 20 points in the three games.
Boehm said the defense takes pride in surrendering so few points, and is excited about what she’s seen thus far this season.
“I think everybody except for myself is a new player on our defense,” said Boehm. “They look like veterans out there. They’ve been impressive to someone who has been playing for three years.”
Following the home games with Highland and Millbrook, the Hawks will have only two remaining home games, April 29 against John S. Burke and May 6 versus Our Lady of Lourdes.
Rhinebeck hopes to be playing for the Section IX Class C championship at James I. O’Neill High School on May 29.
“We have to stay in a growth mindset,” said Dampf. “If we continue the way we’re going now, I think we should have no problem getting there and competing.”