Drew Campbell Takes the Reins of PHS Girls Flag Football

Less than 12 hours after helping the Peninsula Seahawks score 38 points in a win over River Ridge Oct. 15, offensive coordinator Drew Campbell was back talking football. This time it was with a group of moms, preparing for a different kind of season.

Campbell, in his first year as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, is also taking over the Peninsula girls flag football program from his father, Brent, who coached the team for its first two seasons.

For the younger Campbell, now in his 11th year coaching high school football, the job means trading helmets and shoulder pads for flags and belts, and extending his coaching calendar well into winter.

“I just really love to teach and coach football,” he said.

Brent helped the program grow over three years, watching participation nearly triple from 15 players in its inaugural season to 42 last winter. He stepped aside because he could no longer give the growing program the time it required.

Drew welcomed the extra commitment.

“If you’re passionate about something, you create time for it,” he said.

Campbell’s coaching career began at Eastside Catholic, where he played before returning as a young coach after attending Washington State University. He became the varsity passing game coordinator before moving on to Foster, Mercer Island and Skyline high schools.

His father was among his earliest influences, coaching Drew’s youth teams through eighth grade. Campbell also credits longtime Eastside Catholic coach Jeremy Thielbar with shaping his philosophy.

Flag football is new territory. Campbell knew tackle football and seven-on-seven passing leagues, but he acknowledged a learning curve, and some of his players are still learning the fundamentals.

He plans to adapt Peninsula’s varsity passing offense into simpler concepts and drills. On defense, he expects to keep portions of his father’s system.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association sanctioned girls flag football in 2025, opening the door to postseason play and state championships.

The game is played seven-on-seven on a 50-yard field with 10-yard end zones. Defenders stop plays by pulling flags from a ball carrier’s belt, and blocking is prohibited, which puts a premium on speed, agility, and strategy. Games are two 20-minute halves. Touchdowns are worth 6 points, with one-, two-, or three-point conversions.

Campbell is already coordinating tryouts, practices, and scheduling with parents while the boys team prepares for the playoffs. Varsity remains his priority, but winter planning can’t wait. Between fall football, winter flag football and spring practices, he’ll have little downtime.

He says winning isn’t the point.

“It’s less about winning and losing. It’s just about teaching and getting them to understand the game more,” he said.

That echoes his father’s approach, which stressed teamwork, sportsmanship, and the memories players carry long after their final game. Campbell remembers it from his own days at Eastside Catholic, when practice sometimes felt more like an obligation than an opportunity.

“Sometimes you dread it, but it’s a fun outlet,” he said. “You go practice with your friends and make an experience out of it.”