Andra Douglas was once a homecoming queen. Anna Tate played basketball at Wyandanch. Val Halesworth was an All-American basketball player. The list goes on, but now they all have a common bond. And it isn’t one that many would guess.

They are all members of the New York Sharks, the first Independent Women’s Professional Football League champions. No, this is not touch football and no, it’s not flag football. These women put on the pads and helmets and play real football. And on July 6 in Ashland, Ore., they defeated the Austin (Texas) Outlaws, 24-4, to win the title.

The Sharks were a dominant team, going 9-0, averaging more than 41 points per game and allowing just 18 points all season with five shutouts. Halesworth threw for 17 touchdowns against only two interceptions and ran for four touchdowns. In the title game, the Oyster Bay native ran for one touchdown, threw for another and also threw for three two-point conversions.

The roster of the Sharks, who played home games at August Martin High School in Queens, was composed of residents from the tri-state-area, but it was dominated by Long Islanders.

-Marshall Lubin