Crenshaw senior defensive back Ezaria Gibbs helped the Cougars flag football team to a 17-2 overall record and a 13-0 Coliseum League record in their inaugural season.
She joined the team last year when it was a part of the League of Champions and competed in their Super Bowl Tournament in January 2023.
Gibbs also got a chance to compete against the King/Drew Golden Eagles in an exhibition game during halftime of the Los Angeles Rams vs Las Vegas Raiders preseason game. She noted how being able to play flag football at SoFi Stadium gave the Cougars confidence.
“They chose us to be there out of every other team in LAUSD,” Gibbs said. “That made us feel special.”
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Playing in that game was a proud moment for Gibbs; in that moment, she realized that she was helping pioneer high school girl’s flag football.
“When I went on the field, I turned around, I saw everything, I saw the people, I saw the lights and cameras,” Gibbs said. “Once you get on the field and when you’re focusing on the game, literally you don’t hear the crowd at all, you just hear your teammates.”
Her coach taught her to not let anyone discourage her, another major lesson Gibbs learned is to not get used to winning.
“You never know when you just might come across that team that might be not even better than yours, perhaps a little bit more experienced than yours,” she said. “You have to always be ready, you always have to be on 10.”
Gibbs understands that having good grades is a priority when being a student athlete. Getting to school on time and getting work done is essential.
“If you’re not on your grades in school, you’re not going to be able to play a sport,” Gibbs said. “I come to school every day, I do my work, respectful to the teachers, get on the teacher’s good side.”
Gibbs’ favorite class is AP English, her favorite book is “The Scarlet Letter.”
“I read that and it really made a big impact,” she said. “It really touched me.”
In the future, Gibbs hopes that she can continue to be a pioneer in women’s flag football.
“I know that they’re making some type of Olympics thing with flag football,” Gibbs said. “That’s one of my goals to join it and be one of the first people to be in it.”
