Marist Joins IHSA Girls Flag Football, Will Face McAuley Wednesday

CHICAGO — Marist High School will join 82 high schools across Illinois that are participating in the inaugural 2024-2025 season of girls flag football, an IHSA sanctioned sport.

The Illinois High School Association decided to officially add the sport after noticing a significant growing interest in flag football over the past three years. A landmark moment for women’s athletics, the last sport added by IHSA and Marist High School was girls wrestling in 2022.

The team will be led by Ron Dawczak, former Marist head boys football coach. Dawczak said what he’s looking forward to most this season is watching the girls improve each day of the flag football season and building strong bonds with their teammates that will last a lifetime.

“I'm excited that Marist added a girls' flag football program because it gives our girls an opportunity to do something that has never been done before in the history of Marist High School. These girls are pioneers,” Dawczak said. “Our current seniors played in last year's Powder Puff game, but other than that, this is an entirely new experience for our players.”

The coach added that the RedHawks have been working incredibly hard learning the finer points of a new sport and have already made huge strides from the first practice a few weeks ago.

Marist will entertain neighborhood rival Mother McAuley High School at home Wednesday, Sept. 4. Game time is 7:15 p.m. in Marist’s RedHawks Stadium, 4200 W 115th St., Chicago.

The inaugural IHSA Girls Flag Football State Finals will take place on Friday and Saturday, October 18 and Oct. 19.