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Dysart Adds Girls Flag Football for Fall, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 02/23/2024
DYSART SCHOOLS - Dysart Schools will launch girls flag football as a student sport for the fall 2024-2025 school year. It will be offered at Dysart’s four high schools, including Dysart High School, Shadow Ridge High School, Valley Vista High School and Willow Canyon High School.
The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) officially sanctioned girls flag football to begin in the 2023-2024 school year. Dysart will join other schools in the state of Arizona that competed in girls flag football through the AIA this year. There is only a Varsity level of play for girls flag football, and games will be played on Tuesday nights against other schools in the same AIA conference. Flag football puts 7-player teams on a football field with a shortened width. Rules are similar to football rules, and athletes wear uniforms, flags, cleats and mouth guards and use a youth-sized football.
“Dysart is dedicated to improving opportunities for student athletes and the community we serve, so we are thrilled to expand our athletic offerings by adding girls flag football next year,” said Craig Mussi, Dysart Schools Assistant Superintendent for Support Service. “We believe there is a lot of interest for this sport, and are excited to watch our athletes compete in it next year.”
Last year, the district installed turf fields at Dysart High School and Willow Canyon High School. New turf field construction has begun for the district’s two remaining high schools - Shadow Ridge High School and Valley Vista High School, and will be completed prior to the start of the next school year. With the completion of turf fields, and the durability and safety features they provide, Dysart is confident their football fields can now withstand the wear and tear of both tackle and flag football being played simultaneously.
Dysart Athletics
Dysart Schools offers 17 high school sports to choose from and won 14 state championships in 2022-2023 in girls basketball, cheer, track, wrestling, and Unified sports (badminton, soccer, basketball, track). Last year individual honors also abounded with 21 students named region players of the year; two conference players of the year; 11 region coaches of the year; and one conference coach of the year.