The North Carolina High School Athletic Association approved girls flag football in May, making the state the 22nd nationwide to do so. Coaches said many athletes have already been playing the sport for years. More than 150 high schools now field teams, compared to a little more than 60 that competed for a non-sanctioned state championship last year.
Green Level head coach Shawn Patil said the inaugural season represents a milestone.
"It's a really exciting time," he said. "It's really great to see these kids finally compete and see this sport grow as it is right now."
Patil said sanctioning the sport has boosted interest among students.
"We did see a large number of ladies more interested. So that was the biggest, I would say, change from last year to this year. But for us, our mission is to continue to grow, continue to develop the kids from freshman to their senior year. So it was just business as usual."
Playoffs for the first sanctioned season are scheduled to begin Oct. 31, with the state championship set for Nov. 14.
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