The inaugural all-girls high school flag football championship was hosted in Boise on Thursday. Centennial defeated Rocky Mountain 50-6 in the title game.
Over the past 3 years, flag football in the Treasure Valley has grown exponentially, with just over 80 players in 2024. This year, over 170 across 10 high schools competed. The rapid growth has expanded into middle schools as well, with more girls joining the sport every year.
“It turns into a family, I guess. Like, our team is just incredible,” said Megan O'Coyne, quarterback for Rocky Mountain High School.
The league hopes to continue growing as the sport expands across the U.S. Currently, only 9 states sanction the sport.
“I want every state to have it sanctioned, I mean that's the goal for us. I know we're not even in the voting stage yet but we're hoping, you know, getting the high school division and just seeing this growth blow up, that you know, eventually,” said Cassandra Clough, head coach for Rocky Mountain.
See how girls flag football is expanding:
Jerron Moore is the president of Optimist youth football and created the league. He also developed a hybrid league mixing flag and tackle football. He says the core of his work is to expand the game and growing the sport for more girls is a key piece of that.
“It's going to take off, we're going to be here once it becomes, the schools come to us and say we're going to make it a high school sport, we'll shake their hand, hand them the rosters and we'll know we did the right thing.”
