The Eagles have practically deemed the end zone as their official home. The Hauppauge girls’ varsity flag football team has been throwing spirals, capturing flags, and winning on the field.
The Hauppauge girls’ flag football team is a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) and competes in League II. The girls are led by head coach Steve Mileti. He’s been at the helm of the program since its inception in 2022. Mileti earned Coach of the Year in 2025. Mileti is joined by assistant coach Joe Tasman.
“ We’ve been fortunate to have a great group of athletes who just bought into and love flag football; they love playing it. We work really hard, we have a six-day-a-week commitment, and our practices are intense. We have so many great athletes from the school, so many girls who are just incredible athletes, who are playing, and they have dedicated themselves to being a team and met all expectations. We lost to the county championship the last two years, and I think this year the girls coming back really want to finish what we have not been able to do,” said assistant coach Joe Tasman.
Currently, the Eagles are 9-0-0 in League II and are one of five teams to remain undefeated so far this season. The Eagles are absolutely soaring on offense, putting up a nifty 224 points in nine games. In doing so, they’ve limited their opponents to 47 points and shut out four. We like to call a team like this a powerhouse. The source of their offense? Quarterback Taylor Mileti.
Literally and statistically, Taylor Mileti is doing it all this season. Passing: 102 completions, 1,140 yards, 20 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 150 att’s, and 49 flag pulls. Rushing: 34 Att, 267 yards, 5 touchdowns. Mileti is fifth in the Section XI standings for passing leaders and fourth for flag pulls. In 2025, Mileti received All-County, All-Long Island, and Defensive Player Of The Year Honors. Mileti will attend the University of Buffalo, where she’ll play Division I soccer in the fall.
“She’s the glue of our team. She’s a four-year starter. She has gotten better and better every single year. Which for some people, it’s hard to believe because she came in as a ninth grader, and she was so dominant as a freshman. She’s worked really hard at learning how to play quarterback, which is a very difficult position to play. We have a saying, “nothing changes, if nothing changes”, and she’s taken that to heart, and she’s always looking for things to do to change,” said Tasman.
A QB is nothing without a receiver. The ball has to go somewhere, and Charlotte Derby has been very popular on the receiving end of the ball. The junior has run for 492 yards, catching 14 touchdowns, completed 3 pats, and 39 recs. This stat line puts Derby in 5th in the Section XI receiving standings.
“Charlotte Derby and Lindsay Adams are two outstanding receivers who have been dominating. Charlotte has also approved her speed, her work ethic, and now she’s catching everything. Now that she catches the ball consistently, with her speed and athletic ability, she’s really become a force,” said Tasman.
A few seniors will graduate this Spring before heading off to college in the fall. Taylor Mileti is headed to the University of Buffalo to play soccer, Alexa Fortune is off to Oneonta for basketball, and Olivia Condos will be attending LSU. Catherine Bartone, Sabrina Fazio, and Brooke Tarasenko are graduating as well.
“What I love about it, what makes it so unique, is that the kids right now are getting an opportunity to play something at the beginning grassroot level. Where it hasn’t been tainted by youth coaches or by overbearing travel teams, over scheduling, and all that stuff that comes with these other sports that flag football doesn’t have. So our girls, when they come to us in March, they can’t wait to play,” said Tasman.
Flag Football is emerging on Long Island as a vastly popular varsity sanctioned sport. What started out in 2022 with only eight teams has now expanded to 38 teams. The sport has been a great addition to the rotation for multi-sport athletes. The Hauppauge Eagles have a bird’s-eye view of the 2026 season, with their end goal being a first-ever Suffolk County title.
“I think it’s really just a matter of our girls believing that they’re good enough and that when the big game comes, wanting it, knowing that they can take it,” said Tasman.
