NEW YORK, N.Y. – The significant transformation that girls’ flag football has undergone, especially amid the broader growth of women’s sports, tells a story that begins with where the attention of sports fans is shifting.
Among a few of the top flag football programs in the country, namely in states such as Florida, California, Arizona and Alabama, New York State has made its way into the conversation regarding the growth of girls’ flag football. Much of that attention, of course, comes courtesy of investments from the National Football League (NFL), specifically from franchises like the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills.
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Flag football has the highest attraction and participation rate among other youth sports as of late, according to a series of surveys conducted by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which in turn, has sparked the investment of local New York State institutions like Binghamton University and Wagner College, who have added women’s flag football to their list of Division I sports.
Adding another tier to the skill level of girls’ flag football implicitly encourages a new level of competition, and in Section 4, that competition is intensifying.
Of the sixteen teams in Section 4, flag football programs like those of Waverly, Owego, Norwich, Binghamton, Maine-Endwell, Vestal, and Union-Endicott have stood out, and more notably, Susquehanna Valley, whose head coach, Michael Ford, was recognized as the “New York Giants High School Girls Flag Football Coach of the Week” for the Sabers’ 50-0 scoring against opponents in the first week of the 2026 season.
"I think in the next five to 10 years, the schools that are doing this are going to really see the development of players," Ford said regarding the growth of Section 4 programs. "There's opportunities for college flag football that weren't here five years ago, these girls can continue playing with Binghamton University, and it's gonna be an Olympic sport in 2028, so I think there are so many opportunities these girls would have even dreamed of."
With Section 4 girls’ flag football continuing to grow, and now having the assurance of an opportunity to compete beyond high school, here’s a look at a few athletes whose stats stand out among their competition:
Brilynn Belles (Waverly, QB, senior): Belles, a key aspect of Waverly's success and top-ranked start to the season, has completed 108 passes for 1,141 yards and 24 touchdowns, including three rushing touchdowns.
Makenzie Olmsted (Waverly, WR, junior): Olmsted has rushed for over 375 yards for two touchdowns so far in the season, averaging 8.2 yards per carry, along with 332 receiving yards for 8 touchdowns, averaging 11.1 yards per reception.
Remi Campbell (Binghamton, QB, senior): Campbell, one of Binghamton’s most prolific on the field, has completed 24 passes for 494 yards and nine touchdowns, including rushing for 364 yards and five touchdowns.
Bre Butler (Maine-Endwell, QB/CB, sophomore): Butler has completed 36 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns, and is on track to create new school records in the sport.
Josey Ryan (Norwich, junior): Ryan has completed 63 passes for 395 yards and five touchdowns, while also recording 479 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
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Sydney Blunt (Horseheads, junior): Blunt has been essential to the Horseheads’ offensive efforts, having rushed 532 yards for five touchdowns this season, averaging 11.6 yards per carry.
Hailey Butler (Greene, freshman): Although new to the sport, Butler has completed 44 passes for 395 yards, recording her first touchdown in the first game of the season, against the dominant 7-1 Waverly team.
Maddy Ocker (Maine-Endwell, junior): Ocker has recorded 195 receiving yards along with 225 rushing yards, scoring five total touchdowns so far in the season.
Madeline Miller (Susquehanna Valley, junior): Miller has completed 32 passes for 264 yards, recording seven touchdowns, including two rushing touchdowns and a total of 171 rushing yards.
Gracie Wallace (Susquehanna Valley, junior): Wallace has rushed for 391 yards and has scored five touchdowns for the Sabers so far.
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