DePaul Prep kicks off it’s second season of flag football this evening. The Rams take on Trinity High School at 7:00 p.m., at DePaul Prep stadium.
I had occasion to visit practice yesterday, talk to Coach Mallette and take a few photos. The is the second year of flag football at DePaul Prep and prospects look bright for the young program.
This is only the third season of this sport as an IHSA sport. School participation has nearly doubled since the start in 2024. Only 154 schools then and now it’s up to 234 this year. The Rams will play sixteen games including three home games. There is also a game in works against Lane Tech that is expected to be played at Horner Park. The Girls Catholic Athletic Conference will have sixteen teams.
I confess that I am new to flag football as a high school sport. The games are 48 minutes long with 4 quarters. There are punts but no traditional kick-offs. It’s first and 20 yards for a first down instead of 1st and 10. The Rams will field three teams of 20 players each—a varsity team and a junior varsity A team and B team. The varsity has 15 returning players.
Head Coach Kendall Mallette was cautiously understated in her comments about the upcoming season.
“We are really fortunate to assemble an incredible group of athletes. Most of our girls play two sports. We have a high concentration of basketball players and soccer players and a few track and a few softball [players],” Mallette said.
“We lost in the second round of the playoff last year to the eventual state champions. We were the only team that put points on Maine South in the plays [until the state semi-final game].”
Keep your eyes on this flag football team.
