Local interest sidelined as OHSAA set to crown first girls' flag football champion

CANTON −This Saturday, May 16, the turf at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium will play host to a historic milestone with the first Ohio High School Athletic Association sanctioned girls flag football state championships taking the field.

It's a culmination of a meteoric rise for a sport that has gone from a club-level curiosity to an Olympic-bound sport in just a few years.

But while the rest of the state sprints toward the end zone, the flag has yet to be planted in our neck of the woods. A survey of a few athletic directors across the Daily Jeffersonian coverage area reveals that while the sport is the talk of the state in some areas, it hasn't yet reached that level within area high schools to date.

The hesitation to jump on the bandwagon boils down to three primary hurdles:

Student interest: A quiet place

For any sport to move from a discussion to a reality on a varsity field, there has to be a demand from the students themselves. In Belmont County, Barnesville athletic director Brad Hannahs notes that while the sport is making headlines, the phone hasn't started ringing at his desk just yet.

"The topic of girls flag football has been mentioned, but it hasn't come from students or the community at this point," Hannahs said. "As of now, we have not seriously explored adding it as a varsity program at Barnesville."

For school districts like Barnesville Exempted Village School District, the process is as much about math as it is about athletics. A program that starts with the excitement but lacks a full roster to support it can quickly became a liability.

"The first step would be determining if there is enough student interest to support a program," Hannahs added. "From there, you would have to evaluate whether it can realistically fit within the school district's budget."

The 'spring squeeze': Splitting the talent pool

The OHSAA has designated flag football as a spring sport, which places it in direct competition for players with long standing traditions like softball and track and field. For a district like Cambridge City Schools, the introduction of a new program isn't just about adding a team; it's about potentially thinning out the rosters of established programs.

Cambridge athletic director Jeff Wheeler notes that for smaller districts, the "numbers game" is a constant balancing act to deal with.

"Anytime that you have multiple programs during the same season and then consider adding a new varsity sport to an already crowded calendar, that will bring with it a unique set of challenges," Wheeler said. "Especially for smaller districts where the 'numbers game' is always a factor."

While the OHSAA pushes for more opportunities, Wheeler points out that those opportunities can sometimes come at a cost to the sports programs already in place.

"While the expansion of girls flag football is an exciting development for some school districts, there are valid concerns about how it may impact the existing sports for others," Wheeler added.

Infrastructure: Beyond the sidelines

Westerville North flag football quarterback Madison Montler makes a soft toss during the Warriors' May 4 practice. North will participate in the Cleveland Browns Girls High School Flag Football regional tournament May 11 at the University of Akron.

Even if rosters were full, the logistical engine required to run a varsity program is significant. For John Glenn athletic director Michael Dunlap, the hurdles aren't just about finding a whistle and a clipboard, they are about the literal ground the student-athletes play the game on.

"Having a coaching staff and players would be two early components to starting a team," Dunlap said. "In terms of budget, I would imagine that there are grants available to help start a program through the NFL, Hall of Fame, and others. But sustaining the program financially beyond the grants would be a hurdle given that many schools are facing budgetary issues."

Beyond the balance sheet, the physical constraints of a land-locked campus pose an even more immediate problem in some cases. At John Glenn, the overlap of seasons creates a geographical puzzle that is currently missing a piece.

"We would be in a unique situation in terms of a field given our football and softball field configuration," Dunlap explained. "Our softball field extends onto out football field, so that would be an extreme hurdle. We already utilize Muskingum University's field to play lacrosse due to this constraint."

More: Meadowbrook's 'big stage' experience shines in playoff rout of Indian Creek

More: Time to select Daily Jeffersonian Athlete of the Week for May 4-May 9. Make your pick now

Even if a field were found, the wheels of the operation are often hardest to turn.

"Another factor would be transportation," Dunlap continued. "Both in terms of cost and the availability of drivers."

The big picture

While the local forecast for girls flag football remains "wait and see" in our local area, the momentum across Ohio suggests this may be a matter of when, not if. With the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals providing heavy financial backing and the sport set to debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the pressure to adapt will seemingly only grow.

Massillon Tigers girls flag football players Hajile Danzy and Emerson Smith run drills as they prepare for their championship game May 18 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Thursday, May 15, 2025

For now, local fans looking for flag football action will have to make the drive north up I-77 this Saturday to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium to check it out. History is being made with the inaugural OHSAA state tournament for the growing sport of girls flag football, even if local chapters of the playbook are still being written.

KSutton1@gannett.com; X: @KSuttonDJSports; Instagram: kevinsutton_dailyjeffsports

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: OHSAA girls flag football championship Tom Benson Stadium