Ohio Girls High School Flag Football State Championship: OHSAA’s Inaugural May 16 Event
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: When you catch your team stewing over a dropped catch, blow the whistle, have each player shout out one thing they DID nail, and watch how flipping the focus from the mistake to a win zaps the doubt and gets them back in the fight with a grin.
Postgame Parents: In the car or before practice, challenge your kid to play “spot the mismatch”—have them name which defender looks like the slowpoke, then sprint right at them on the snap; it turns every play into a confidence boost (and you’ll both crack up watching those “dusting” victory laps!).
Players Snap: After scrimmage, pass around a silly “team trophy” (a water bottle works) and make each player give a genuine compliment—drop it or miss your praise and you owe the squad a lap. Little props and real praise build a crew that fights for each other.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 The Ohio High School Athletic Association will hold its first girls flag football state championship on May 16
Ohio High School Athletic Association will host the inaugural girls flag football state championship on May 16 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, with eight qualifiers emerging from regional tournaments conducted by the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. This landmark event underscores the rapid growth of girls high school flag football in Ohio and highlights new competitive pathways in the state’s athletic programs.
“We are very excited for this state tournament and would like to thank the Pro Football Hall of Fame for hosting it inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium,” OHSAA executive director Doug Ute said.
🌍 Regional Roundup
Ohio: Flag football has become the state’s fastest-growing high school sport, expanding from a handful of girls teams to 162 in five years thanks to support from the Bengals, Browns and the Ohio High School Athletic Association. OHSAA will sanction its first state championship this spring, while schools like London High School debuted their inaugural girls program this season.
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Keansburg, New Jersey: The New York Giants Foundation awarded Keansburg High School’s girls flag football program $2,000 after Coach Kelli Hudson was named Coach of the Week, highlighting her leadership since the team’s launch in 2023. Hudson also helps coordinate the Shore Conference High School Girls Flag Football Kickoff to grow the sport regionally.
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Los Angeles, California: USC founded its first women’s flag football club aiming to bridge the gap between high school and college competition and pursue NCAA Division I status under the Emerging Sports for Women program. The club is leveraging the 2028 Olympic spotlight at BMO Stadium and growing varsity commitments from at least 40 schools to build a sustainable pipeline.
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⭐ Player Spotlight
Bianca Williams – Defensive Back, Penn State Harrisburg. She anchored the defense in the United East Championship game, leading her team to a 12-7 victory over top-seeded Gallaudet and earning Tournament MVP honors with 10 total tackles, including nine solo stops and a sack.
“Defensive back Bianca Williams was named the United East Championship Tournament MVP with 10 total tackles, including nine solo stops and a sack,” Penn State Harrisburg athletics website.
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 Ohio Girls Flag Football Growth
Ohio’s girls flag football programs have expanded from a few teams to 162 in five years, with London High School’s first-year squad growing to nine players and securing commitments from eighth graders. Support from the Bengals and Browns on equipment and tournaments, plus OHSAA’s first girls state tournament in May, underscores the sport’s rising profile.
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🔥 NCAA Emerging Sport Momentum
USC launched its first women’s flag football club to bridge the gap between high school and pro pathways as the NCAA’s Emerging Sport for Women met its 40-school varsity requirement for championship status in 2025–26. With Olympic inclusion in 2028 and Title IX funding incentives, more universities are poised to elevate flag football to full Division I recognition.
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🔥 United East Conference Debut
Penn State Harrisburg won the inaugural United East women’s flag football championship April 25 by defeating top-seeded Gallaudet 12–7, marking the conference’s first structured postseason. This milestone reflects the rapid institutional adoption of collegiate flag football and sets a template for emerging conferences.
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⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
Flagler Palm Coast fell 12-6 in overtime to Forest and Spruce Creek lost 13-7 to Seminole as both teams saw their seasons end in Wednesday’s Region 1-4A quarterfinals.
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NJ.com’s Week 4 Top 20 girls flag football rankings place Ridgewood at No. 1, Mastery Camden at No. 2 and Hillsborough at No. 3, with Bayonne and Pinelands entering the top seven.
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Mount St. Mary’s inaugural flag football team opens its first ECAC Championships Saturday at the New York Jets Training Complex against Wagner after freshmen Annabelle Haught and Jenna Dick each surpassed 1,000 passing yards last weekend.
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Sumner stunned South Shore rival Lennard 7-6 on a last-minute touchdown and extra point in the 4A District 8 semifinal before falling 20-0 to Bloomingdale in the district final.
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The New York Giants named Keansburg High’s Kelli Hudson their Week 5 Girls Flag Football Coach of the Week and awarded her a $2,000 program grant after she led the Titans from an 0-3 start to a three-game winning streak capped by an upset of top-ranked Middletown South.
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🏁 Final Whistle
— Michael Phelps
