This is a growing program in a growing sport. Cathedral High School flag football progressed in 2025, establishing a strong foundation in a developing sport – and doing so in successful and memorable fashion. The future is bright for this program, and the present was productive and fun. “It was good growth year,” Irish flag football coach Eric Bruns said. Irish flag football in 2025 – its second season as a program in the second season for flag football in Indiana – finished with a 6-3 record. The program grew in numbers and success, improving throughout an eight-game regular season before a 47-34 loss to Shortridge in the first round of the postseason. “The game went back and forth, up and down the field,” Bruns said. “It was really one of those situations of who got the ball last, because neither team could really stop the other.” The eight-game regular season marked a five-game increase from the program’s 2024 inaugural season. Interest also grew, with 21 girls participating throughout the season. “We had more girls come out to play,” Bruns said. “The girls that were on the team did a fantastic job of recruiting the hallways and getting some of their friends and fellow athletes to come out and play.” Flag football continued to grow in its second season in Indiana, with a state-sanctioned postseason tournament – and with 79 teams competing compared to 27 in 2024. Flag football also now has “emerging sport” status with the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Flag football has been significantly endorsed and supported by the NFL and the Colts, and will be an Olympic sport in 2028. “It’s on its path to becoming a fully-sanctioned IHSAA sport,” Bruns said. “There’s no doubt that this is growing and going to be sticking around.” The Irish in 2025 continued to build, with all players from Year 1 in 2024 returning for the 2025 season – and with a core of four returning seniors helping establish a foundation. Those seniors: *Erika Davis, linebacker/receiver. *Sarae Jenkins, linebacker/defensive back *A’ryn Haliburton, secondary/safet *Arynn Garrard, receiver. “There's no program really without them getting this started,” Bruns said. “When the whole idea was first brought up prior to last season, they came out and did it. Nearly a third of the team in Year 1 was sort of this senior group. Without having them and them taking the shot on this, I don't know where we are, if we even have a program or not.” Quarterback Curstyn Hansbrough was among the state’s top juniors, with sophomore Millie Scott making an immediate impact after settling in at the running back position. “She was someone you could just hand the ball off to and she could outrun all seven players on the other team,” Bruns said of Scott. Garrard, named by Indiana Preps as Offensive Player of the Year for Indiana, has received multiple scholarship offers. “The sport is growing at all the levels and spreading at the collegiate level,” Bruns said. “It's another avenue that some of the athletes can use as a way to offset tuition cost at the next level.” Bruns said the Irish grew and improved in Year 2 of the program, setting the tone for a strong present and bright future. “We're in a good spot,” Bruns said. “With where [flag football] is placed as a fall sport, it’s a great opportunity for a lot of the athletes that are track athletes in the spring to do something. [Irish track and field] coach [John] O'Hara has been great in terms of recommending sprinters or hurdles to play and have them doing something in the fall, as well as some of the girls from Coach [Lisa] Finn's basketball program to play in the fall as well. “The overwhelming majority of the roster are multisport athletes, which is fantastic.” And Bruns said he feels equally good as Year 2 turns into the future. “You can tell the girls are starting to truly understand the game more,” he said. “That was kind of the big hurdle to get over that first year – just teaching the basic fundamentals of playing football. Year 2 for most of the girls, the ideas of defensively being able to play some different coverages and work some different things in, then change a little bit of some things offensively and call some audibles – be able to change plays a little bit and expand the playbook some … “Those were things that made you feel good going from Year 1 to Year 2.”