The Resurrection College Prep girls' flag football team is preparing for a historic weekend for the school, ahead of the team playing in this weekend's state championship hosted by the Chicago Bears.
The meteoric rise to state finalist comes in the school's first season with a flag football team, and they're already ranked fifth in Illinois.
"It was all a new experience because we didn't even know we were going to have a team until June 3," head coach Josh Wiechert told NBC Chicago.
The start of the team quickly attracted interested student-athletes at Resurrection.
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“I was immediately interested in flag football when they announced it as a new sport. I’ve always liked playing for fun, and I thought having a team and creating a team aspect was something I was really interested in," wide receiver Nina Boyd said.
Months later, 21 girls comprised the roster that became one of nine teams competing at Halas Hall for the state championship.
The team secured their bid to the state championship with a 30-0 win over a conference opponent.
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“We always said from the beginning joking around that we were state bound, but now we actually made it. I feel like our team has done so well this season, especially for our first year," quarterback Sophia Spanos said.
Flag football, rapidly gaining popularity both nationally and globally, will be recognized by the Illinois High School Association beginning next year, and has been added as an Olympic sport for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Wiechert said the impact has been felt across the school, with several students expressing interest for next year's team.
