The Steelers Girls Flag Football season concluded on Sunday with the championship game held at Highmark Stadium. This year, 16 teams entered the playoffs, with initial rounds played at Shaler and Moon High Schools. The semi-finals saw four teams compete, leading to a final showdown between Upper St. Clair and two-time defending champions Moon.
Upper St. Clair emerged victorious with a 12-0 win, claiming the 2025 Steelers Girls Flag Football Championship in the league’s fourth season. “It’s a great year, a special year,” said Upper St. Clair Coach Ryan Huzjak, who expressed his joy at coaching his daughters to victory.
Player of the Game Emily Powell from Upper St. Clair shared her excitement: “I have no words… This is such a big moment.” The game was broadcast on KDKA+, featuring former linebacker Arthur Moats as commentator.
Moats highlighted the growth of girls’ flag football: “When I first came to Pittsburgh… we really didn’t have anywhere to send them to continue to play after camp.” He praised its evolution and inclusion as an Olympic sport.
The league expanded this season from 36 teams in 2024 to 50 teams, competing over six weeks. Mike Marchinsky, Steelers Senior Manager of Alumni Relations and Youth Football, remarked on this growth: “There were schools that didn’t even have a team last year that came out and were really competitive.”
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) will oversee girls’ flag football starting in the 2025-26 school year. Marchinsky noted the significance of this transition: “We’ve come a long way… there’s still a lot more growth to go.”
The season began with an event at Saint Vincent College featuring high school and college teams. Marchinsky commented on pairing these games: “We were the first NFL team to pair high school games with college games.”
Overall, this year’s championship game provided an opportunity for broader exposure through its broadcast on KDKA+. Marchinsky emphasized its impact: “It was a great opportunity to showcase it and help the sport grow even more.”
