Girls flag football championships highlight rapid growth of the sport in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
New Jersey's top girls flag football teams took the field Monday at the Eagles' Jefferson Health Training Complex, competing for a state title ahead of Pennsylvania's championship matchup later in the day. As teams prepared for the Pennsylvania game, the Palumbo High School girls' flag football squad focused on what their coach described as a daunting challenge. Head coach Chris Donneley said the matchup against defending champion Gwynedd Mercy Academy carried a "David and Goliath" feeling.
Palumbo is the first public school to win the Philadelphia girls flag championship. Donneley said the sport's momentum is unmistakable. "The opportunity that these girls have is amazing...
and I'm not surprised at the growth of the sport, it really is an awesome sport to be a part of," she said. The Eagles launched a girls' flag football league in 2022, a move that helped fuel the sport's expansion across the region. "We started with one league, had 16 teams in it.
And now we have over 100 teams in Pennsylvania. Just as many playing in New Jersey," said Julie Hirshey, the Eagles' vice president of community relations. New Jersey teams were the first to compete for a championship on Monday, followed by the Pennsylvania finalists.
Senior Palumbo High School player Tascianna Xavier said her team had been preparing all year. "We're really excited. We've worked all year for this, so this is something we've looked forward to and hold each other to the finish line," she said.