Girls Flag Football to debut at Lee County Schools this fall

When the lights come on this fall at Southern Lee and Lee County High Schools, the football team will have some new company. Girl’s Flag Football will join the varsity athletics offerings at each of the two high schools for the first time beginning with the Fall 2025 Season.

Girls Flag Football is one of the fastest growing athletic offerings in the country, with well over 100 North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) member schools beginning their programs in the last three years. The growth in the sport is fueled by an interest in football and the support of the National Football League (NFL) teams across the country.

The Carolina Panthers have supplied schools starting their programs with equipment and $2,500 grants to help defray the costs of starting up the program. That support has been met with high interest by high school girls, who have turned out in droves to try out and join their school’s team.

“At a time when we are seeing many athletic programs across the state and nation, especially those for women, have difficulty fielding full rosters and junior varsity programs, it is so encouraging to see girls taking an interest in being active and participating in a sport,” said Lee County Schools District Athletic Director James Alverson. “Education-based athletic programs give our students a great opportunity to try something new, make new friends, and feel like a part of the wider school community.”

Lee County High School Coach Cherice Washington saw more than 60 girls express interest in being part of the flag football team and had more than 40 come out for tryouts this fall. “We put the girls through an intrasquad scrimmage last week and it was incredible to see their competitive drive, to see the smiles on their faces and how hard they hustled. Just seeing students who are normally shy and reserved go out there and give it their all, seeing girls who are normally perfectionists not get something and come back and try again without being asked, it really is amazing and shows me just how great the potential of this program is.”

Lauris Petty is a senior at Southern Lee and will be the quarterback for this year’s inaugural team. When asked about having this opportunity, she immediately lit up with excitement. “I’ve been around football my whole life. My dad coached when I was younger. I always wanted to play, but being a girl, I didn’t really feel I could play when I was younger. I love watching football. I love coming to the games. I even loved powderpuff. I was hoping to have an opportunity to make that into a real team, and here it is.”

“I was surprised there were so many girls that wanted to play,” Petty explained. “A lot of girls don’t really like being physical anymore. A lot of girls like to go home and sit around or hang out with friends. This is just so much more than that, so I was really surprised. I just love making new memories and meeting new friend groups, so it’s been really special, especially with it being my senior year.”

Southern Lee will begin the season on the road at South Johnston on September 24^th at 5:00 p.m. They will have a pair of games at South, facing West Johnston as well. Lee County will travel to West Johnston to kick off their season on October 1^st, facing the same two teams at their Cavalier counterparts. On October 14^th, Lee County will host their first home games as Southern Lee and South Johnston come to visit the Jackets. The regular season will conclude with Southern Lee hosting West Johnston and Lee County on October 21^nd. All conference games start at 5:00 PM and each matchup lasts approximately 45 minutes.

“Our athletic programs are about more than wins and losses,” highlighted Alverson, “they exist to build community on campus that drives a sense of belonging and purpose. These programs are focused on developing student well-being. They are extensions of the classroom where our students get to learn the lifelong lessons of teamwork, grit, resilience, and integrity that will help them thrive in their future challenges. We are thrilled about being able to extend those benefits to more students in our district this fall.”

Sept. 11, 2025

Contributed.

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