Creekview's Haley Bryant tries to elude defender Jessica Watson of Woodstock.

Note:  A gallery of photos from the seminfinal tournament can be viewed here.

CCSD high schools are wrapping up their first season of girls flag football, a new sport under consideration by Georgia High School Association.  Six school districts in Georgia participated this year, following a trial program last year in Gwinnett to launch the sport.  Funding from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation covered costs such as fees for referees, field costs, jerseys, equipment, athletic trainers, administrator fees and coaching stipends for participating districts.

All six CCSD high schools fielded teams of 20-30 players for the 7-on-7 format, which is played on a regular football field with slightly altered dimensions.  The teams played just within the county this year, rotating opponents and game sites, and are holding a county championship playoff this week.  The semi-final round was Tuesday night at Woodstock HS, and the finals will be tonight at Cherokee HS.  Cherokee and Sequoyah are the finalists who will compete for the county crown.

“I am excited that our district has embraced the launch of a flag football league," said Tonya Sebring, Administrator on Special Assignment for Student Activities and Athletics. "The CCSD flag football league has provided another opportunity for our female athletes to compete and represent their schools. The girls are having fun, learning a new game and competing against their peers.  I am looking forward to watching the program evolve both in Cherokee County and throughout the state of Georgia.”

The six participating school districts (Cherokee, Gwinnett, Forsyth, Henry, Muscogee and Rockdale) will be sending their top teams to a playoff event at the Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta in December. GHSA is expected to add girls flag football as a competition sport in 2020.

River Ridge's Kat Williams grabs the flags from Etowah's Lauren Ash.

Cherokee's Hope Jiles scrambles away from a Creekview defender.

Sequoyah's team emerges from the endzone after a long run by April Cook.