Free State and Lawrence High face off for the first girls Flag Football City Showdown
Shoulder pads were traded for flags last week at Free State High School as the Firebirds took on Lawrence High School 22-13 in the flag football City Showdown.
Free State player Sarai Preston said she has found community and new friendships, as well as love for a sport that she has never had before.
“It’s honestly one of the best experiences of my life,” Preston said.
In April, Kansas became the twentieth state to sanction girls flag football as a high school sport. For Lawrence High Athletic Director Nick Wood, girls flag football has presented the school with a new opportunity.
“When you have a school like Lawrence High that has so much tradition, and has been around for such a long time, it is pretty rare when we get to start something from scratch,” Wood said.
Wood said that the girls who are on the team are building a foundation for what the program at the school will become.
Free State has 35 girls on its team led by head coach Adam Barmann.
“I hope the sport continues to grow,” Barmann said. “It provides a fantastic opportunity for our female athletes who otherwise might not have had an opportunity.”
Current players, like Preston, urge girls not to be intimidated by the sport’s newness.
“I hope they do see that girls can play football; we can be in every single sport that men can be in,” she said.
Both Lawrence and Free State turn their attention to the state tournament with hopes of reaching the state championship which takes place on Oct. 17 in Wichita.
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