Tualatin High School state champions teaming up on flag football field

TUALATIN, Ore. (KOIN) — Fresh off of scoring 18 points in the 6A girls basketball state championship game, Ries Miadich has switched positions.

That position change is from guard to quarterback.

“It’s actually always been an interest for me. I’ve always loved playing powderpuff with the high school, and then when I heard they had flag football I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to do this,’” said Ries.

This past October the OSAA approved girls flag football as an emerging sport, and this spring there are now 47 schools who have programs.

If the sport reaches 50 programs by the 2026 season, it would be eligible to be approved as an official OSAA sport for 2027.

“My dad in high school played quarterback. From a young age, he taught me how to throw the ball, even though we didn’t even know girls flag football was going to be a thing. I kind of just want to be like him,” said Miadich.

Another person she probably wants to be just like? Her head coach Bubba Lemon, who Ries says she loves being around.

Lemon won a state championship as the head coach of the Tualatin boys basketball team in 2023. The pair became close as the boys and girls programs have always had a good relationship at the high school. The duo are now teaming up to win a state championship on a different playing surface.

“These girls have so much passion and energy. I was telling people the other day, it’s life giving when I come out of practice with them,” said Lemon, who also said he jumped at the opportunity to be the head coach of this team. “They have so much energy and so much excitement it makes me love what I do.”

The excitement makes sense when both Ries and Bubba put it into perspective.

“We basically are making history. I got to be in the very first touchdown play that our school’s ever scored in this sport,” said Ries. “It’s just cool. It’s a lot of firsts this year for me, and I’m just loving learning and getting to do something new.”

“This has always been a sport that’s been deemed for boys. It’s kind of been like an off-limits zone for them. Like, you can watch it and all that other stuff but now they get to prove to them, we can do this,” said Lemon. “I have a little daughter who’s 3 years old. I was telling the girls this the other day, I want to build something now so when she gets there in the future, she has the opportunity to do this.”

It should be no surprise that these two champs are thinking big in terms of building, even if they are newbies to flag football.

“He knows what it takes to win, and so I think we’re all kind of out here and we’re like, ‘Yeah, why not try and get a state championship here, too?’” said Ries.