Written by Jack Hart
Girls flag football continues to make history across Illinois, and Tuesday night in Hillsboro marked another important milestone in the growth of the sport.
The Hillsboro Hilltoppers hosted their first-ever home girls flag football game, giving the program an opportunity to compete in front of its home crowd while continuing to build one of the newest athletic programs in the area.
Girls flag football officially became an Illinois High School Association-sanctioned sport on February 14, 2024, with its inaugural IHSA state series taking place in the fall of 2024. Since then, the sport has continued to expand across the state, creating new opportunities for high school girls to compete in football.
For Hillsboro, that growth is happening from the ground up.
Head coach Kurt Compton said he was encouraged by several people to apply for the position before ultimately deciding to take the opportunity. With his daughter also entering the program as an incoming freshman, Compton said it became a decision he wanted to pursue.
Once he arrived, Compton was surprised by the interest in the program.
The initial sign-up included around 11 players, but that number grew to approximately 14 to 18 girls consistently throughout the summer.
Now, Compton and the Hilltoppers are looking toward the future.
Hillsboro currently has a co-ed youth flag football program, but Compton said the goal is to eventually establish a youth program specifically for girls.
“We definitely would like to see one for all girls coming up,” Compton said.
Building that youth foundation could be crucial as Hillsboro works to grow the program and create opportunities for younger athletes to become involved before reaching high school.
Tuesday night’s game was another opportunity for the Hilltoppers to gain valuable experience, and Compton said he has already seen significant improvement from his team.
“The girls, they keep learning and they keep improving each game,” Compton said.
For Hillsboro, however, Tuesday night was about more than the final score.
It was the first girls flag football game played at home in program history — another important step for a program that is still finding its footing and for a sport that is rapidly changing the high school athletic landscape.
From Chicago to downstate Illinois, girls flag football continues to grow.
And in Hillsboro, that growth was on full display Tuesday night
