Eagles host playoffs for girls flag football league. Which South Jersey high school won?

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles hosted a championship game recently, but not for the team's players.

The Eagles instead opened their practice facility, the NovaCare Complex, for the West Jersey Girls Flag Football League's playoffs and championship game on June 1.

A full season came down to one of four teams needing two wins to become the 2024 champions.

The teams were made up of girls from four South Jersey high schools: Kingsway Regional, Absegami, Egg Harbor Township and Mastery Camden, the defending champions.

More than 1,000 people watched the local teams, as well as squads from a Pennsylvania league, on two fields at the South Philadelphia complex, according to an Eagles representative.

The onlookers also included Eagles like Jordan Mailata, A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts and Ben VanSumeren. Also joining in the fun were members of the team's cheerleading squad, drumline and mascot Swoop.

David Spadaro, Eagles insider and reporter, called the games for the West Jersey playoffs.

Giving these girls an outlet to shine has impacted the growth of women in sports, and Jordan Mailata knows better than anyone what can happen when someone is given a chance.

"It's all about the opportunity," said Mailata, a rugby player in Australia before being drafted by the Eagles in 2018.

He said flag football presents "a stage and a safe place for these young women," allowing them to not only play their sport but to grow as well.

Mailata also is "impressed by the skills they are developing so quickly with how the sport has grown".

"I have been coming to this since 2021 and the level they play is crazy. They are throwing 30-to-40-yard bombs, sweeps, etc. The way their talent levels and skills have evolved from year to year has been amazing to see," Mailata said.

But how did the Eagles come to host and give this stage to these talented young women?

"It started with us hosting jamborees, which led to championship games," said Dan Levy, youth football and community relations manager for the Eagles."All of this was a big part of our programming and initiative to help grow the game," said Levy, who arranged to partner with the girls league through Mike Galley, then athletic director of Mainland High School in Linwood, Atlantic County.

For the players, it all starts with practice and learning the fundamentals, said June Cioffi, who is not only the athletic director at Kingsway but also has been running the league.

"Each school is treating it differently for this year. At Kingsway, we treat flag football as a sport as they practice every day just as our other spring sport and the expectations are the same for the girls," Cioffi said.

Ava Valente, Kingsway's star quarterback, felt the same way.

"I love growing with my teammates and seeing all of the hard work they are putting in. It’s very special to me to see everyone's progress," Valente said.

At the end of the day, that work proved to have been a success.

Kingsway defeated Mastery Camden, the only team to beat them in the regular season, and Egg Harbor Township to secure the championship.

Nick Butler is an impact reporter for the Courier Post, the Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times covering community news in South Jersey. Have any tips or stories? Reach out to NButler@Gannett.com. Subscribe to stay in the loop.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Four high school teams make playoffs for girls flag football league