CINCINNATI — Ashley Pate sprinted down the left sideline of La Salle High School’s football field and looked up.
A perfect pass from Bella Heile fell right into her arms.
“It was a trick play,” Pate said with a smile.
Badin’s girls flag football team converted a first down on its first offensive play in school history, and the Rams ran away with a 32-0 victory over Mercy McAuley on Saturday.
The Rams took to the practice field just four weeks ago in preparation for the program’s first-ever game.
“We had to learn how to catch a ball, we had to learn how to throw the ball,” Badin coach Mike Sebastian said. “We had to learn everything. We’re still learning the rules.
“This is all new to everybody. You saw it. We’re excited to get past the learning part, and today I think we did that.”
Badin, which practices at Joyce Park, was invited to play in the USA Football affiliated league sponsored by the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Cincinnati area’s pilot season begin in the spring of 2024 with six schools primarily from the Girls Greater Catholic League. The 2025 girls flag football season is up to 20 teams.
Flag football’s growth has been exponential in recent years. So much so the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Games will include it as an event.
It’s also been a key focus by the NFL.
“Girls flag football is growing at an unprecedented rate, and we’re using our biggest platform and family-viewing moment of the year not just to celebrate the growth of flag, but to drive positive change when it comes to creating accessible participation pathways for girls in football,” NFL chief marketing officer Tim Ellis said in a release.
The 2025 Bengals Girls Flag Football season kicked off with a jamboree at Paycor Stadium in early March. More than 300 girls and 40 coaches participated in drills and scrimmages and got to hear Bengals head coach Zac Taylor speak.
The regular season will consist of six weeks, and an end-of-season tournament hosted by the Bengals will crown a champion. Mount Notre Dame returns as the reigning champ.
The Bengals provide a start-up stipend of $3,000 and work with partnerships from Nike and USA Football to supply uniforms and equipment.
“All we’re looking for is opportunities for the girls,” Sebastian said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the girls. To be part of a team for some of these girls is just fun.
“Our seniors that we have who have come out to play are unbelievable. We have a slew of seniors who are awesome. Then you mix it all with a lot of the younger players, it’s just a great experience so far.”
Sebastian said while comparing year-round sports like basketball and soccer, flag football is an opportunity for the girls to compete in the spring.
“This is something you can come out and play early February and into March and be done in May,” Sebastian said. “It’s a really quick thing for them, and that’s what these girls are looking for.
“They love this. They’ve been great. We practice three days a week, normally, with games one day a week.”
Badin High School’s girls flag football roster includes seniors Abby Mathews, Ella Pfirman, Michelle Garcia, Claire Ressler, Ashley Pate and Brooke Sebastian; juniors Addy Madden and Lexi Brecht; sophomores Yuridia Reyes, Ebony Anderson, Bella Heile, Maddie Stephens, Izzy Maxwell and Jadyn Leibrock; and freshmen Hanna Rowe, Emmy Jacobs, Rylyn Reynolds and Maddie Treadway. The Rams are coached by Mike Sebastian and assisted by Christy Even.
“It’s about the girls,” Sebastian said. “It’s about them having another opportunity. It’s about coming out and having fun — with low pressure.
“It’s something you’re not going to do all year-round. They get to be around each other and play down at Paycor. It’s just a great thing for them.”
Here is the rest of Badin’s 2025 girls flag football schedule:
Saturday, April 12 — Mercy McAuley, 32-0 W
Wednesday, April 16 — vs. Woodward, at Mount Notre Dame, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16 — at Mount Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23 — vs. Ursuline Academy, at Blue Ash Sports Complex, 6 p.m.
Friday, April 25 — vs. St. Ursula, at St. Xavier, 6 p.m.
Friday, April 25 — vs. Mercy McAuley, at St. Xavier, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 7 — at Mount Notre Dame, at 5 p.m.
Wednesday, May 7 — vs. Mercy McAuley, at Mount Notre Dame, at 6 p.m.
Postseason Tournament — TBA
