SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Steve Montoya, one of the architects of Ponderosa High's flag football success, will take over as the head varsity flag football coach at St. Francis Catholic High School, Director of Athletics Ryan Chisolm announced Monday. The 2026 season begins in August, although Montoya's appointment will include the school's youth summer camp in June plus preseason workouts and other organized team activities.

"I'm excited for Steve's leadership and vision on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball," said Chisolm. "He has a proven record of success as a coach at Pondo. His ability to develop, lead and motivate will be invaluable to the young women in our St. Francis flag football program, on and off the field."

"I'm extremely excited to join this program and became the head flag football coach," Montoya said. "I know how eager the girls are to get better and perform at a high level. There's a great foundation here, and I can't wait to dive in and get this thing rolling."

Montoya has more than 15 years of overall coaching experience, with the last seven years on the Bruins' softball and flag football staffs. He served as an assistant for Pondo's varsity softball team from 2019 through 2025, helping the girls capture their first Capital Valley Conference championship in a decade in 2022. That began a run of three consecutive CVC titles, plus a Sac-Joaquin Section banner and NorCal runner-up finish in 2023.  

Then in 2024, when flag football became the state's newest girls' high school sport, Montoya was tabbed as offensive coordinator for the Bruins' new program. In that inaugural season, Pondo enjoyed a perfect 25-0 record, winning both CVC and SJS championships in the process. Under Montoya's watch, the offense averaged a staggering 38.2 points per game. The Bruins enjoyed another outstanding season last fall, finishing 18-7 and reaching the section final for a second straight year. They have also yet to lose a home game, enjoying a streak of 24 straight victories across two seasons on the Pondo home turf.

Furthermore, Montoya claims an unusual achievement: he coached two different daughters to section titles in two different sports. Whitney played outfield for the 2023 Bruin softball team, while Liana played her junior and senior years on the first two Pondo flag football squads.

"We're going to try to win at everything we do," Montoya added. "That could be as simple as winning in the classroom to winning on the field to winning in how we walk around campus."

Montoya's personal experience with flag football long predates the advent of the sport as a CIF offering. He played four years of intramural ball while a student at Sacramento State, then continued to play in adult competitive leagues for six more years following his graduation in 2005. Montoya was previously a team captain in football and baseball at Placer High, while also participating in Hillmen wrestling and basketball.

Montoya graduated with a degree in mass communications, working for Sacramento's NBC affiliate KCRA 3 until joining the team at the high school sports website MaxPreps in 2006. He serves as the senior director of editorial and content for the renowned platform, overseeing the site's social media and on-site content.

Last fall, St. Francis finished with a 19-8 overall record and an 8-6 league mark in the Sierra Foothill League. The Troubadours also qualified for the SJS Division II playoffs, coming one point away from upsetting No. 7-seeded Antelope in a first-round game in October.