RED BOILING SPRINGS 鈥 A new chapter in youth athletics was written Saturday at Red Boiling Springs High School as the Macon County Grid Iron Girls Flag Football League crowned its first-ever champions.
The inaugural season concluded with championship tournament action featuring eight teams and nearly 80 young ladies from across the community competing in two age divisions.
In the 2nd-4th-grade division, the Shewolves advanced to the championship game after defeating the Lions in semifinal action. The Tennessee Twisters earned their spot in the title game by defeating the Green Eagles. In the championship contest, the Shewolves emerged victorious to become the first-ever Macon County Grid Iron Girls Flag Football League champions in the younger age group.
The 5th-8th-grade division also featured exciting tournament action. The Bulldogs defeated the Saints in one semifinal, while the Havoc advanced with a win over the Pink Eagles. In the championship game, the Bulldogs captured the league title, becoming the first-ever champions of the 5th-8th-grade division.
League commissioner Sara Merritte said the idea for the league was born out of a desire to provide additional athletic opportunities for young girls in Macon County.
鈥淎 lot of girls want to play football. They want something to do besides basketball and softball,鈥 Merritte said. 鈥淚 think it is a positive outlet for these young ladies who may not be interested in other sports also. I wanted to play football when I was younger, so I am just glad these young ladies will have the opportunity to compete while staying active at the same time.鈥
Merritte hopes the success of the league will eventually lead to opportunities at the high school level.
鈥淲e are hoping that a high school league will also be started in the near future so that this league can be a feeder program for it just as the junior pro league is for the junior high and high school,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to see 500 kids out here five years from now.鈥
Bulldogs head coach David Phillips believes the impact of the league extends well beyond the football field.
鈥淚 feel like this sport gives them structure,鈥 Phillips said. 鈥淎 lot of them come from good families, but I still try to make sure to teach them to put God first and to listen to your parents. We always pray before and after the games, which is important.鈥
Phillips explained that organizers had discussed creating a girls flag football league for several years before Merritte helped make it a reality.
鈥淲e looked at this the past few years that we wanted to start a girls flag league, but something else was always interrupting,鈥 Phillips said. 鈥淪ara came to me and said that she was going to do it this year and almost 80 young ladies signed up, which made up eight teams. We are trying to extend it to the high school level in time, with an older age group.鈥
He also pointed to the growing popularity of girls flag football across the state as evidence that the sport has a bright future locally.
鈥淭here are several other communities who have girls鈥 high school teams. I do believe that Gordonsville sent their team to the state semifinals, and we鈥檙e hoping that a girls high school program will begin at Red Boiling Springs High School and Macon County High School,鈥 Phillips said. 鈥淚 feel like this league is still in the early stages, but having almost 80 kids sign up is most definitely a success.鈥
With strong participation numbers, enthusiastic community support, and two inaugural champions crowned, the future appears bright for girls flag football in Macon County. Saturday鈥檚 championship tournament not only concluded a successful first season but may have laid the foundation for continued growth of the sport for years to come.
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