Last week there were some notable performances and results in girls flag football.

Two games in particular stood out because of their exciting endings and the insights they provided about the teams involved.

Here is a summary of these games:

Highland 28, Hart 27 (OT)

Hart, which played its season opener on Wednesday, overcame a 20-6 deficit at halftime but lost in overtime on a 2-point conversion by Highland.

Junior wide receiver Jessica Gutierrez finished the game with four catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, which was the most on her team, and added 23 rushing yards on three attempts. Junior running back Ellie White had seven carries for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

“Highland is an experienced school with a lot of pace and athleticism,” said Hart head coach Josh Masmela. “This game showed me as a coach and as a team that we can compete with a lot of really good teams out there. I’m proud, the whole school is proud and we have a good foundation to build on after the first game.”

Knight 27, West Ranch 19

The Wildcats opened their season at home against the Hawks on Wednesday, but failed to earn their first win in program history.

The Wildcats started strong, scoring two quick touchdowns, but Knight fought back and took a narrow victory.

“If you know their record from last year, you can tell they were a real force,” said Wildcats head coach Mark Hornberger. “It’s a tough one mentally. Even the refs said they thought it was going to be a blowout. It was frustrating to let the two touchdowns go like that, but it was a learning experience for us. We’re going to get better and I couldn’t be happier.”

NFHS sets the course for flag football

Last week, the National Federation of State High School Associations announced that it would begin drafting the rules of play for flag football. Flag football is one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the country.

The NFHS has formed its first NFHS Flag Football Rules Committee. The committee is scheduled to meet in 2025 and establish rules for the 2025-26 season.

“The NFHS is excited about this new sporting opportunity – especially for girls,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS, in a press release. “Flag is a sport of inclusivity. It can be played any time of year (weather permitting), is fast-paced, and offers young people the opportunity to play and others the opportunity to coach or officiate the exciting sport of football.”

The announcement that flag football will be included in the sport at the 2028 Olympic Games is significant not only for girls, but also for future boys flag football programs. Girls’ participation in flag football more than doubled from 2022-23 to 2023-24, bringing the total to 42,955 girls playing the sport.