In the first year Washington high schools could offer girls' flag football as a varsity sport, 105 schools fielded teams.
The Seahawks' NFL FLAG regional tournament in Everett produced a national champion.
The LA Conquer Seahawks, a Southern California-based club competing under the Seattle Seahawks' NFL FLAG banner, beat the defending champion Austin Texans 15-14 in overtime on Sunday, July 26, in Westfield, Indiana, to win the 2026 NFL FLAG High School Girls Championship.
Quarterback Ava Ortman scrambled right, away from the rush, and hit wide receiver Mya Smith on a leaping catch just inside the end zone pylon for the game-winning two-point conversion, according to NFL.com.
The team earned its national berth by winning the Seattle Seahawks' NFL FLAG Spring Regional on Saturday, June 6, at Kasch Park in Everett. The Seahawks' Community Engagement team has spotlighted girls' flag football for at least two consecutive years, including a January 2026 event at Everett Memorial Stadium featuring former professional football player Garry Gilliam and the Jackson High School girls team.
The LA Conquer Seahawks are affiliated with the Conquer SoCal organization and are not a Seattle-area high school team. The players' specific schools have not been publicly confirmed.
The Seahawks connection runs through the franchise's regional qualifying tournament, not through local rosters.
The local surge
The WIAA sanctioned girls' flag football as a varsity sport in spring 2025, making Washington the 15th state to do so. Participation in the first season blew past expectations.
At Everett Public Schools, the demand forced the district to hire additional coaches. Athletic director Dani Mundell told the Everett Post in January 2026 that Jackson High School fielded three teams, Everett High School three, and Cascade two.
Nationally, roughly 69,000 girls competed in high school flag football during the 2024-25 school year, up from 15,000 three years earlier, according to NFL Flag Football.
The sport debuts at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the NCAA added women's flag football to its Emerging Sports for Women program in January 2026.
The game
The championship seesawed. Ortman connected with Smith to open the scoring. Austin's Emery Beckett found Zahra Hill to answer. Kaitlyn Reynolds broke up a pass on defense, then caught a go-ahead touchdown on offense for the Texans.
Ortman spotted Smith over the middle to pull even, but Austin converted a one-pointer to retake the lead. The Seahawks answered with the two-point conversion to win it.
Smith also recorded an interception in the semifinal win over the Bad Rabbits Select 49ers. Ruby Streatfeild and Mya-Love Rodriguez contributed as receivers throughout the tournament.
More than 350 teams from 12 countries competed at the championships, with 30 games airing across ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, and Disney Channel.
What we don't know
The Seahawks have not publicly detailed how much they invest in their NFL FLAG regional program or whether the program actively recruits participants from Seattle Public Schools. Residents can request community investment data from the Seahawks' community relations office or file a public records request with Seattle Parks and Recreation regarding any facility partnerships on the official Seattle government website.
