Wednesday was opening day for Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) first-ever girls’ flag football season.
MCPS introduced girls’ flag football as a varsity sport at all county high schools this fall as a pilot program. The school system is doing the pilot in partnership with the Baltimore Ravens and Under Armour.
“Football is a game that we’ve always understood to be a game for boys, a rough game, but flag football has created a beautiful opportunity to level the playing field, and get girls to the field,” said Adam Rudel, senior manager of marketing and football outreach for the Ravens.
“Especially since it’s coming to the Olympics… It’s giving other girls the opportunity to come into sports that some people may say guys can only do, so it gives us the opportunity to show out and show what we can do,” said Chioma Ofulue, a junior at Northwest High School.
“They’re making history today, they’re trailblazers,” said MCPS Systemwide Athletics Director Dr. Jeffrey Sullivan.
Scenes from the first games of the season at Wootton High School.
