Alton High School Introduces Girls Flag Football This Fall

Alton High will compete alongside Edwardsville and Belleville schools in an anticipated 12-game season beginning this fall.

Apr 23, 2026 10:43 AM Apr 23, 2026 2:34 PM

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Edwardsville and Belleville West shown below, both started flag football programs in 2025. Alton will be part of the Southwestern Conference flag football cast in 2026.

ALTON - Alton High School will add girls flag football as a sport starting the fall of 2026, a move Athletic Director Christopher Kusnerick said could expand opportunities for students who have not participated in a fall sport.

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The program will compete in the Southwestern Conference, with Edwardsville, Mascoutah, East St. Louis, Belleville East, and Belleville West listed as conference opponents. The sport will be played in a 7-on-7 format, with the team expected to play about 12 games.

Kusnerick said Alton High School will hire a coaching staff this spring.

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“It should be a neat activity for some of our student-athletes who have not played a fall sport,” Kusnerick said.

Kusnerick also cited broader growth in the sport. “It is one of the fastest growing sports across the USA, and over 200 schools participated in the state of Illinois last fall,” he said.

He said the addition of a turf field on the Alton High campus was a factor in the decision.

“Now, with having a turf field on campus, it gives us more space for games and practices than what we have had in the past at AHS,” Kusnerick said.

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