FLAG
From 133
Coaches credit the growth of
the sport to the increasing publicity
surrounding it, including the
Atlanta Falcons taking a financial
stake in its potential success.
“It’s got support from the top
down,” Marietta coach Nick Houstoulakis
said. “It started off the
right way with the Atlanta Falcons
promoting it and providing
resources.”
In 2018, the Falcons started a flag
football pilot program in Gwinnett
County. The Arthur Blank Foundation
funded all the equipment
needed for the 13 Gwinnett high
schools.
There was overwhelming support
as the following year, six more
counties, including Cherokee, were
added for another pilot program.
The Falcons provided any equipment
necessary.
“Uniforms, football, cones, whatever
equipment needed schools got,”
Cherokee coach Tom Stringfellow
said. “The Arthur Blank Foundation
and the Falcons have been
instrumental in getting the sport
started here in the state.”
The success of the pilot programs
led to the Georgia High School Association
adopting it as a varsity
sport for the first time last year.
It was a new journey for a lot of
programs.
In Cobb County, eight teams
competed in 2020. The four playoff
teams from Cobb’s eight-team area
— Marietta, McEachern, Hillgrove
and Allatoona — all advanced to
the elite eight. Hillgrove made it
to the title game with a semifinal
victory over Allatoona.
In Cherokee County, all six
county schools participated.
Cherokee, Sequoyah and Woodstock
all advanced to the second
round.
“I think the girls that came out
the inaugural year did not know
what to expect,” Pickney said. “And
(they) had a really good time and
kept telling their friends and the
word spread.
“This has never been a sport that
they had the option to play, so the
entire youth played the traditional
sports and now they find out they
want to play football and they’re
trying to find a way to.”
This fall, Lassiter, Walton, North
Cobb, Pope and Harrison, will join
the original eight teams, which
See FLAG, Page 136
134 KICKOFF 2021
Special
Top: Hillgrove’s Lauren Render has her flag take at the 1-yard line by Allatoona’s Keira Daniels during the
state semifinal game in Atlanta. Above: Grace Hamrick, Ryann Hutcheson and Kathryn Hutchinson prepare
to run a play for River Ridge.