The incomparable Beyoncé sang it best: “Who run the world? Girls!”

It’s tough to disagree with Queen Bey, and a group of sixth grade girls is showing the Diocese of Brooklyn who truly runs the world on the flag football field.

This spring, St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, expanded its Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) flag football program to include sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teams comprised only of girls — the only parish in the diocese to field such a squad. While the CYO flag football league is technically a co-ed league, the vast majority of young athletes are boys.

And, in what was a defining moment this season, that’s still being talked about weeks later, St. Francis’ sixth grade girls’ team defeated the sixth grade boys’ team in an exciting clash on the gridiron. It was also the first win of the season for the team.

The journey started in March when St. Francis, under the leadership of John Martin, began fielding seventh and eighth grade girls’ flag football teams. Frank Naccarato, whose 11-year-old daughter, Mia, was interested in playing the sport, got together a group of sixth graders to field their own team.

Even though he did not have a coaching background in flag football, Naccarato agreed to lead the team, which only had about two weeks of practice before the CYO regular season opened.

St. Francis was placed in a division with the teams, including the sixth grade boys’ team from their own parish.

From the start, interest was booming, with more than 30 girls signing up. Flag football has grown in popularity in recent years, to the point that it will be introduced as a new sport at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Early in the season, it was a learning process for the team, but week by week, the improvement has been evident. While other teams may have discounted them, the girls have written their true underdog story and have gained the respect of their opponents.

“These sixth grade girls are very athletic, and they’ve caught on quickly,” Naccarato said. “The first few games, we were competing, and in every game, we were still learning. Now that we know how flag football works, we’ve been pulling off some wins.”

The clash against the boys’ team was played on May 4 at Fort Tilden on a rain-soaked field. During the week leading up to the matchup, the halls of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy were buzzing with anticipation. The girls had yet to win a game at that point, so the boys, who won the 2024 CYO Bantam Division diocesan title, probably thought they’d pick up an easy win.

Think again.

The game was full of back-and-forth excitement. The girls held the lead for most of the game, but the boys kept coming back. However, a late touchdown by the girls sealed the statement victory, 36-30. When the dust settled, pure bedlam ensued on the field.

“That was a big one; that’s one they really wanted to win,” said Naccarato. “Game day came, and these girls wanted it more. It was a real gritty, fairytale type of football game. They loved it and were going nuts celebrating at the end of the game.”

The following week in school, some of the St. Francis de Sales teachers hung up an article in The Rockaway Times that covered the game, claiming that there were several “sheroes” in the class. The boost of confidence continued two weeks later as St. Francis earned another big win — this time over St. Francis of Assisi, Astoria, 35-12.

As flag football continues to become a mainstream sport, this group of girls has carved out the path for more girls to realize that they can succeed when playing against boys. If interest continues to grow across the diocese, CYO would potentially start up a girls-only flag football league.

For now, the big picture here is that St. Francis de Sales saw a need and thus provided an opportunity for more girls to play a spring sport and continue developing the essential skills of teamwork, camaraderie, and sportsmanship.

If CYO does eventually form an all-girls league, call this group from St. Francis de Sales the flag football pioneers, who built the foundation for the sport to grow throughout the diocese. Sounds like Beyoncé could have a head start on a new song.