Girls flag football has arrived in the upstate.
Well, not officially.
Although it’s still not a SCHSL-sanctioned sport, this fall, Greenville County Schools organized a three-week girls' flag football league for member schools wanting to participate.
The quality of competition has been high so far. The schools involved hope the SCHSL sees that in this test run — and moves to make flag football an official sport.
“The girls are competitive. They get after it,” said Blue Ridge girls' flag football coach Tyler McKinney. “I’d say that if the high school league came to one of these games, it would take them about five minutes to realize this might be just as competitive as Friday night football.”
Blue Ridge is one of 12 high schools from Greenville County competing in this year’s unofficial fall flag football league. Of the 14 Greenville County high schools, all but two are fielding teams this fall.
Most schools found it surprisingly easy to generate interest within their student body. Flag football is growing across the country, and the sport is increasing in popularity among female athletes. It’s a chance for them to show what they can do on the gridiron.
As of 2025, 21 states across the country offer girls flag football as a pilot program, while 17 states have officially-sanctioned state championships for the sport.
“We found out Greenville County was going to do this only a few weeks ago, and we didn’t know what to expect,” said McKinney. “We didn’t know how many girls were going to show interest and walk through that door.
“It’s been amazing to watch this group of girls bond together and form into a team.”
One of those girls for Blue Ridge was Lillian Carter, a junior who stood out in the Lady Tigers’ game against Southside on Saturday.
Carter was all over the field for Blue Ridge, hauling in several deep passes and taking reverse runs for big gains.
She’s been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while.
“I always played [football] as a kid at my house,” said Carter. “I’ve got two brothers, and I’ve grown up around the sport. You go to a football game, and you’re like ‘That looks kind of fun,’ so I figured, what the heck, why don’t I try it?”
That turned out to be a good decision for Carter, who is also a midfielder for the Blue Ridge girls soccer team.
She’s been one of the best players on the field every time she’s stepped on it.
“I knew coming in that I was really familiar with football and how this sport worked,” said Carter. “I definitely didn’t know I’d be catching the ball as much as I have been, but it’s been a pleasant surprise. It’s been good.”
The mini-season wraps up next Saturday at Mauldin High School. The top four teams will compete in a bracket for the first-ever “unofficial” Greenville County flag football championship.
Blue Ridge finished the four-game regular season at 3-1 and will wait to find out if it is among the top four teams.
“We’ll hopefully find out soon if we get a chance [to play for the championship],” said McKinney. “But a huge shoutout to [Greenville County Schools] for getting together this year and saying, ‘Hey, let’s give this a shot.’
“It’s been an awesome experience for these girls so far.”
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