Flag football comes to MS high schools. These 5 Coast teams will be a part of first season
Flag football has officially become the newest sanctioned high school sport in Mississippi.
The state is the 14th to add the fast-growing girls sport and the Mississippi High School Activities Association will be doing so in collaboration with the New Orleans Saints. The pilot season will feature 12 high schools, including five from the Mississippi Coast.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to growing access and opportunity for student-athletes throughout the state,” MHSAA Executive Director Rickey Neaves said in a press release from the Saints. “We are grateful for the New Orleans Saints and the NFL for their partnership in this effort and look forward to building a robust, long-term relationship with the Saints organization.”
St. Martin, George County, Vancleave, East Central and Picayune will all field teams from the Coast as part of the inaugural season, which is scheduled to begin in late March. Brandon, McComb, Meridian, Oak Grove, Perry Central, Richland and South Pike round out the list of year-one teams.
Flag football is one of the faster-growing high school sports in the country and one that regional states like Alabama and Florida have already launched with success.
St. Martin athletic director Jesse Kanode has been a proponent for the sport for several years and told the Sun Herald the school jumped at the chance when the MHSAA sent out interest surveys last fall.
“I fired at that thing right away like, ‘yes, yes, 100 percent,’” Kanode said. “When we got the opportunity of being one of the first public schools, we were really excited.”
Flag football got off the ground in multiple states with the help of NFL partnerships. The Atlanta Falcons helped launch and expand the sport in Alabama and Georgia with grants to over 60 schools between the states in recent years.
The Saints are partnering with the MHSAA in a similar manner, providing equipment and uniforms to the pilot programs, according to Kanode.
“It’s all about providing opportunities for these young ladies to participate in something new,” Kanode said. “It’s a fast growing sport in the nation. For us to get in on the ground floor is just a great opportunity.”
The news does come at short notice for schools to prepare as practice formally begins in February, but there hasn’t been a lack of interest from prospective athletes.
According to George County athletic director James Ray, over 70 girls have already signed up for tryouts to earn a spot on the 20-person roster.
“It’s a growing sport, you see it all over the place and all over TV,” Ray said. “We didn’t have to explain to our girls what it was. They wanted it. We’re fired up about getting on board and being one of the pilot programs to start this.”
The games this season will be played at two locations: Southwest Mississippi Community College and Picayune High School.
The press release said the Saints and the MHSAA are “committed to expanding the program in the years to come.” Alabama has seen the sport grow from 50 schools in its inaugural season to 113 in 2024.
The sport’s potential to grow on the Coast isn’t limited to the five participating schools.
“I think with the proper planning and structure, it would be an amazing opportunity for girls to participate in one of the cornerstones of Southern culture,” Gulfport athletic director Matt Walters said.
