Girls flag football is booming across Ohio
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Westerville North, left, and Westerville Central, right, face off in a girls flag football matchup this season. Photos: Courtesy of Westerville City Schools
For years, Hayden Dennis pepped up Westerville football players on the sidelines. But now the cheerleader competes on the field too — in flag football, which could soon become Ohio's newest sanctioned high school sport for girls.
Why it matters: The Ohio High School Athletic Association board is set to vote Friday, a big step in creating more opportunities for female athletes locally and at higher levels.
State of play: Dennis, a rising senior, joined Westerville Central's team when it debuted in 2025. At that time, it was one of just three competing locally in unofficial NFL-backed contests, along with Whitehall and Columbus School for Girls.
- Now there are 18 teams in the Columbus area and over 160 statewide supported by the Browns and the Bengals.
- OHSAA hosted a sanctioned state championship in May, and Friday's move would further streamline competition across the state.
"It would be fun to play more local schools," Dennis, the Warhawks' center, tells Axios.
- In addition to skills like snapping footballs and running faster, the sport has taught her sportsmanship — and it's exciting to watch and play, she says.
- "I think every school needs it."
The big picture: The local flag football boom is part of a larger national and global push as women's sports get more time in the spotlight.
- Nearly half of states now have sanctioned high school championships.
- An NCAA committee recommended last year that Divisions I, II and III add flag football as an emerging women's sport.
- The sport will also debut at the 2028 Olympics.
How it works: Flag football resembles traditional football, but instead of tackling the player with the ball, a defender must pull one of two flags on ball carrier's belt to "down" them.
- It's played 5-on-5 on a shorter field, with teams getting four plays to reach midfield and four more to score.
- "It's more contact than you'd think," Dennis notes.
What they're saying: Westerville Central coach Peyton McBride tells Axios the new sport is already opening doors for local students.
- That includes Dennis, who was offered a spot on a college team as she pursues a career in physical therapy.
The bottom line: "If it happens at the high school levels, typically the NCAA isn't far behind," McBride says.