This high school girls’ flag football team will play at halftime of Eagles’ preseason game
The Padua Academy girls' flag football team will play at halftime of the Philadelphia Eagles-Cleveland Browns Week 2 preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 16.
By Josh Sanders
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WILMINGTON, Delaware (KYW) — This weekend, a girls’ flag football team from a Wilmington, Delaware, high school will get the chance to showcase their skills in front of a big audience.
The Padua Academy girls’ flag football team will play at halftime of the Philadelphia Eagles-Cleveland Browns Week 2 preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday. Saint Mark’s High School, Ursuline Academy and Delaware Military Academy will also join Padua at the Linc.
“It’s real football,” Jack Duppel, the Padua Academy head coach, said. “The girls that we kept are football players. The sky’s the limit. We had four teams last year; we’re up to 12 teams this year.”
While similar to traditional football, high school girls’ flag football has seven-player teams and is adapted for safety.
Padua senior quarterback Riley Bransfield said she used to dress up with pads and Eagles jerseys when she was younger, and that playing at the Linc will be a dream come true. She believes the sport is more than just a game; it’s a movement.
“It’s growing every single day, and I remember last year gathering at midfield with the opposing team,” she said. “The girls put their arms around each other. We realized we were breaking a barrier in women’s sports and getting this awesome chance to grow the game and be true to ourselves.”
Senior wide receiver Lily DeMarco traded the hardwood for the gridiron and never looked back.
“It’s so fun, I just really enjoy it,” DeMarco said. “I thought I wouldn’t be good at it, but I ended up liking the sport and falling in love with the sport.”
Duppel said his team getting to play at the Linc is proof of how far girls’ flag football has come.
“I’m stoked. I’m the biggest Eagles fan there is,” Duppel said. “The opportunities they’ve given our girls are amazing.”
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