One would think that a football team winning the final championship game by shutting out the opposing team would only happen in the NFL; but a group of teenage girls from South recently accomplished such a feat.
Welcome to South Forsyth High School’s Flag Football team. On November 16, 2024, the JV Flag football team won their 2024 championship game, scoring 14-0, 13-7, and 19-0 against teams in the region.
The Varsity Flag Football team got 2nd in the region and are on their way to make the state playoffs in the third week of November.
Flag Football is a fast-paced, inclusive variation of non-contact football that has been rapidly increasing in popularity in the past few years.
According to the NFL operations, there has been a 63% increase in participation in the sport since 2019. In addition to that, there are around 20 million participants in around 20 countries, making it one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
South Forsyth High School takes pride in supporting the sport by creating a team at the school and labeling and acknowledging it as a fully fledged varsity sports team. Throughout Forsyth County and many other districts, various flag football teams have sprung up, and the sport is even projected to be included in the 2028 Olympics for both men and women.
A Southern Beginning
In 2018, the Varsity Flag Football Coach Cassie Smith created the first flag football team at South Forsyth High School with multiple girls keen and interested in playing.
“The whole idea was for empowering the girls in the south,” Smith said. “Coach Gravitt came to me and asked me if I would be interested, and thus I made the South Forsyth [Flag Football] Team. My love for athleticism and empowering girls at this school empowered me, and I really wanted to give [girls] the opportunity to play flag football.”
Coach Smith said she wished she’d had the opportunity to play flag football in high school herself. But of course, with great opportunities come great struggles.
“Honestly, [starting the team] was really rocky,” Smith said. “A lot of people didn’t know anything. I still kind of feel like I tried to fight for the field, for the girls at different times. Financially, we were working with no money. So that’s why I’ve hosted a lot of the tournaments that I do now and have built the reputation thanks to the players and the parents [that have helped] me out with these things so people can come play on.”
Although the Flag football program started with a low (or even no) budget, it has been clear that flag football, like any other team sport, needs support from everyone on and off the field to make it happen.
“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of support here, but it’s not something I take for granted,” Smith said. “However there’s still certainly a lot of room for improvement, and I’m just going to keep fighting for the girls to make that happen.”
Whether it’s fighting for the field to scheduling games, Smith details the struggles of keeping the program running. However, she overcame all of those struggles, her perseverance forming an integral part of the champion team we now have in South Forsyth.
“Individually, it’s very isolating because there’s like 1 flag football coach at each school and we keep trying to push, and push, and push for stuff at our own school,” Smith said. “Some counties, associations, and athletic directors are more accommodating than others. I feel that we need more support and coaches in the sport itself if we want to continue to take it to [greater] lengths.”
Smith talks about the struggles that every school faces with their flag program, and how there is a mounting need for expansion. Although there are hardships with keeping the team going, flag football is able to expand due to dedicated coaches at every school.
“There’s a lot more programs [than] the very first year we made it to the final four and that was out of 90 teams,” Smith said. “And this year, there’s probably close to 300 teams, so it’s grown by leaps and bounds. Colleges are also beginning to integrate flag football scholarships and programs at their schools.”
The expansion of flag football can be seen directly in Georgia as the number of teams has tripled in the span of a few years. A long with high school, many teams have been created across various age groups.
“I myself have started a youth team this year for middle schoolers coming into high school soon. We have middle school girls from Piney [Grove Middle School], South [Forsyth Middle School], Lakeside [Middle School], and private schools as well,” Smith said. “It was the very first year that the whole state did it. I think there were maybe 15-20 teams across the state and it’s going to be a really exciting way for people to get involved at a much younger age. They’re playing with each other, so they’re creating those relationships on and off the field. I think it can be a really exciting thing for the girls in this program as we continue to grow.”
Like Smith, a few Flag Football coaches have started their very own feeder team in 2024. By training middle schoolers from an early age, it gets them ready as the high school season looms, growing the sport as a whole.
Whether it’s starting a flag football team or scheduling games, it takes a lot of work to create and manage a team that will foster memories that will last forever.
Tight Spirals, Tighter Community
Ever since the flag football program first started at South, the community has always been very close and tightknit.
A freshman on the Flag Football team, wide receiver Sammy Sarkady, was interviewed on her experiences and her perspective on the team.
“I love playing on our flag football team,” Sarkady said. “Everybody is so nice and supportive of each other, and we spend so much time together! At least at South, everything about the sport is amazing, from the players to the coaches [and] just playing in general.”
Like Sarkady, the players on the South Forsyth team all talked about their positive experiences on the team.
“Well, I think that [any] girl who’s interested should play flag football, because you can’t play on the actual football team,” Sarkady said. “If girls feel scared about trying out [for] flag, then [they] should know that it could be scary at first, but once you do it, and you meet the team, everyone is so supportive and kind.”
Whether its their kindness or their athletic prowess, the South Forsyth Flag football team is talented and rich in so many areas.
Former cornerback for the boys’ football team, Arian Rana, shares his unique perspective on this issue.
“I definitely think that the program at South Forsyth is much better than many other teams and organizations I’ve seen across the country,” Rana said. “The Flag Football program is really pushed at South, and all the girls seem like one happy community.”
Rana further commented from the perspective of a football superfan.
“I love football, and I watch it every Sunday no matter what,” Rana said. “Flag football just isn’t taken that seriously in general, which is partially why people show up more often at tackle football games. Don’t get me wrong, I like both sports, I just think tackle football as a whole is a bit more appealing.”
Like Rana, multiple individuals shared their perspective on the comparison of flag football and tackle football. As the rules often differ, one might prefer one over the other.
“As a player of both, I feel that though they are both fun, the sports are extremely different from each other,” Rana said. “I can definitely see why people might want to choose one over the other. Our flag football coaches are really good, and so is our flag football team. Overall, I think flag football is really cool, and the community at South is wonderful.”
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Leveling The Playing Field
Although there has been high continuity of involvement in flag football, the National Sporting Goods Association notes that only 25.8% of participants are female.
Sophomore Reese Epstein has been involved in the sport since she was 5-years-old.
“Ever since I was very little, I have been playing flag football,” Epstein said. “I was the only girl on an all-boys team, but when I found out about the All-Girls Program at South, I remember being extremely excited. During my time on the boys team, the coaches unintentionally made a few comments like ‘You can run faster than a girl’ or ‘You really are letting a girl beat you!’”
As males are more involved in the sport than females, gender bias may be present in the social dynamics of the team. Comments like those made to Epstein can sting in the back of your mind as a player.
“Ever since I joined the girls team at South, I really enjoy playing [with] the amazing community we have on the team as everybody supports each other,” Epstein said. “Everyone is cheering everyone on, and I love that. Whenever someone makes a catch or touchdown, everybody crowds around them and hugs and cheers for them, so it’s a really close and tight-knit community with everyone.”
Having a team allows girls at SFHS to experience bonding with their teammates, whether it’s cheering each other on or hanging out after practice.
Despite the girls’ flag football team’s winning record and overwhelming enthusiasm from the players, they are not met with the same appreciation as the boys’ football team.
“I definitely think there’s a super obvious difference when it comes to guys and girls football,” said senior Kathryn Goodwin. “Although [our winning record is] much better, [the boys’] stadium is packed full with students cheering them on. When it comes to flag football, the stadiums are really empty except for a few close friends.”
Like Goodwin, many students and players have noticed this disparity when it comes to school spirit for flag football.
“I just wish more people would appreciate and actually come to flag football team games, especially since we are going to [the state championship],” Goodwin said. “I think we as a school and community should appreciate and look at the girls who are achieving so much at this sport.”
