Pioneer on the field: Lilly Rumrill inspires future flag football stars

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — To say that flag football is on the rise, especially among girls and women, is a vast understatement.

According to the National Federation of High School Sports, 500,000 girls played flag football in 2023, a 63% increase since 2019.

Flag football will be an Olympic sport in 2028, and in the last few years, local colleges and high schools have started teams and leagues.

That makes players like Mooresville High School senior Lilly Rumrill a pioneer.

“I think being one of the first people is super cool,” Rumrill said. “Showing these little girls that they can play too and they don’t have to wait so long. It’s becoming a big thing.”

Despite having to wait until her junior year to play for a high school flag team, Rumrill has made the most of it. 

She was the Carolina Panthers nominee for girls national flag football player of the year, one of just 32 finalists across the country. 

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“It’s kind of insane thinking I’m one of those top-level players and came so far within two years,” she said. “It’s really cool.”

And it’s deserved. This season for Mooresville, Rumrill tallied 18 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. 

“Being able to play football and stay connected with football was a big thing so the transition was easy,” Rumrill said.

Next year, Rumrill will play at Milligan University in Tennessee. 

She’s the first athlete from North Carolina to sign a letter of intent to play college flag football. 

And she loves knowing she won’t be the last.

“Over the summer we had a flag football camp at our school for the first time and there were all these little girls that come to all my other sports games, like basketball, softball, football,” Rumrill said. “Seeing them and being able to teach them the game I love is pretty special.”

Contact Nick Carboni at ncarboni@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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