Weddington girls flag football posts 10-3 mark in sport's debut season

Weddington's girls flag football team stands at 10-3 in the sport's first season as a North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) varsity sport.

More than 150 girls flag football teams are competing statewide this fall, Spectrum News 1 reported. North Carolina is one of 25 states with varsity girls flag football, according to NFL Flag.

The Warriors have scored 288 points and allowed 174 through 13 games, according to their MaxPreps schedule page. They sit second in their conference at 4-2 and have won two straight, including a 21-0 shutout of Parkwood and a 21-18 win over Union Academy on Oct. 26.

That Oct. 26 doubleheader doubled as Senior Night for the program. The school's athletics account on X noted flag football was home for Senior Night alongside the games.

The conference schedule has featured area matchups. Weddington beat Marvin Ridge 12-8 on Sept. 29 in a conference game. Cuthbertson handed the Warriors a 33-20 conference loss on Oct. 6.

The Warriors' three losses came against Ballantyne Ridge (44-14 on Oct. 1), Cuthbertson and Piedmont (25-19 on Oct. 20). Weddington opened the season with six straight wins, including four shutouts.

A new varsity sport statewide

The NCHSAA sanctioned girls flag football as a varsity championship sport in May. The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation committed $1 million to support girls high school flag football programs in the Carolinas, Fox Carolina reported.

Before the sanctioning vote, 154 high schools across North Carolina had committed to fielding teams for the 2026-27 season, according to the foundation's announcement. The foundation and the Carolina Panthers have invested more than $1.5 million in grants, programming and other resources since 2022 to grow the sport across the Carolinas.

Varsity status means teams compete for a state title. The NCHSAA announced the inaugural Flag Football Championships will be held Nov. 14 at Helen & Leonard Moretz Stadium on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University.

NCHSAA Commissioner Brad Alford said in the announcement, "We are excited about the opportunities these venues and our university partners will provide for our student-athletes and their communities …"

Flag football will also make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games. Women's flag football is now recognized as an NCAA sport as well, according to Spectrum News 1.