In just its second season, the Norco College women’s flag football program is already making history and turning heads across the Inland Empire.
Led by head coach Ruben Aguilar, the program has quickly grown from a small, experimental team into a competitive force, highlighted by a 5-2 record and wins over four-year universities.
“This means everything to me,” Aguilar said. “Women’s flag football at the collegiate level is my baby.”
Norco played its inaugural season in 2025, becoming the first Inland Empire college to field a women’s flag football team. Now, the program is building on that foundation with rising expectations and increasing recognition.
Aguilar, who describes himself as a “girl dad,” said his motivation goes beyond wins and losses.
“Any opportunity I can provide for young women — scholarship-wise, educationally — I’m going to do that,” he said. “Education comes first. Without it, you’re not going to continue to play.”
The program’s origin was as unconventional as its rapid rise. What began as a flag football class during the COVID-19 pandemic eventually evolved into a full-fledged team largely driven by student interest.
“It started with a conversation with a student who wanted to compete,” Aguilar said. “Then two weeks later, I got an email asking if we wanted to join [California Community College Athletic Association]. I said yes right away.”
In its early days, the team relied heavily on recruitment from the general student body — sometimes even convincing students with little to no football experience to join.
“To be fully transparent, we begged a lot of them to play,” Aguilar said. “We were still teaching the basics right before our first game.”
Despite the challenges, the inaugural roster embraced the opportunity. Many players later credited the sport with transforming them as both athletes and individuals.
Now in year two, the results are showing.
Norco recently defeated Ottawa, Arizona, and Simpson Universities, marking the first time in program history that the college has beaten multiple four-year institutions.
“It’s the first time we’ve done that, even though we’re only two years in,” Aguilar said. “But we’ll take it.”
Support for the program has also grown rapidly. From campus administration to the board of trustees, Aguilar said the team has received strong backing.
“From the top down, the support has definitely been there,” he said. “There have been some logistical challenges, but we figured it out.”
The team’s success is also contributing to the regional growth of women’s flag football, a sport that is still developing at the collegiate level.
“There’s a lot of eyes on us,” Aguilar said. “The flag football community is super small, but it’s growing fast.”
For Aguilar, the most rewarding part of the journey has been watching his players develop confidence and opportunity through the sport. And for young women considering football, his message is simple.
“Listen to that inner voice,” he said. “Don’t let anyone tell you that these things are impossible.”
As Norco continues its season, one thing is clear: the program is not just competing, it’s helping shape the future of women’s flag football in California.
