Girls flag football grows after OHSAA recognition

by Dan Holland

Following a unanimous vote in June by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Board of Directors to fully recognize girls flag football as a varsity sport, area high school teams have been steadily growing around the state.

Girls flag football is now the 29th recognized sport by the OHSAA. There are currently 23 high school state associations across the country that sanction girls’ flag football, and the sport will be included as a new competition at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Statewide, 162 high school girls flag football teams participated this past spring in partnership with the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. The Cleveland Browns initially launched a girls high school flag football league in Northeast Ohio in 2021 – with only six high school teams participating in the first year.

The inaugural OHSAA girls high school flag football state tournament, held at the Tom Benson Pro Football Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton on May 16, was won by the Nordonia Knights, who edged out Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame 20-19 to become the first state champions (see Sagamore Voice, June 2026).

Adding girls flag football to the roster of varsity sports has been a win-win for Nordonia High School, according to head coach Steve Holtz.

“It’s been a great addition to our athletic program, and now that it is fully sanctioned, more parents will sign their daughters up for flag football knowing they can continue playing through high school and college,” said Holtz. “We’ve had girls come out from different sports, and also girls who might not have found another sport that was right for them. Watching them learn how to play football and compete has probably been the best part of it for me.”

Highland High School has fielded a successful girls flag football program for the past two seasons under head coach Rob Peterson. The program climbed from just seven players in its first season to 18 this year – a large enough roster to also field a junior varsity team. Participating in the Browns’ regional tournament this year was a highlight.

“We had very little expectations, as it was our first try, with the winner going on to nationals,” said Peterson. “We ended up a No. 2 seed in bracket play after winning three games in pool play. Unfortunately, we lost a nail-biter in the semifinals, having our quarterback throw a game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock, only to have a ‘sack’ ruling take it away. Overall, the girls played amazingly well.”

“I was excited to see some freshmen come out and see how the sport has grown,” he added. “I’m also anxious to see where the league goes; we were north of 120 teams this year [in the Browns region], and I can only imagine more growth next season. Seeing how the league and divisions shape up will be exciting.”

Within the ScripType readership area, girls flag football teams have not been established at Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Hudson, Independence and Revere high schools.

“We are aware of the emerging popularity of girls flag football in the area, and, if and when we have an interest from our student body, we will certainly explore the possibilities,” said BBHHS Athletic Director Mark Maslona.

In a June 24 news release, OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute commented on the growing popularity of the varsity sport.

“The OHSAA is so proud to welcome girls flag football to our family,” Ute noted. “Flag football has grown so rapidly and will continue to do so. The Browns, Bengals and NFL put in so much work to promote the game and bring us to this moment to welcome girls flag football to the OHSAA.”

Photo caption: Nordonia senior Charlotte Naymik runs the ball during the flag football state championship this year. Photo by Jason Roberts Photography for FocusPix.org. Photos: