Historic Ohio prep sports change helps already strong Badin HS girls' football
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Few Ohio high schools are better positioned to take advantage of the recent and historic state prep sports ruling making girls football a varsity sport than Badin High School.
The Butler County private school has already won a state flag football championship in 2025 and made it to the quarter finals — including a big regional championship win at Cincinnati Bengals Paycor Stadium — in this year’s Ohio tournament.
Officials at the Hamilton school said they are happy with the recent approval by the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s ruling now sanctioning a new varsity prep sports option for girls.
“It’s been a great addition to our athletic program,” said Badin Athletic Director Geoff Melzer.
“The girls have really embraced it and had a lot of success. They’re all in, we’re all in, and the sport is really exploding throughout the state,” said Melzer.
Badin went 13-3 in 2025 and won the first state football tournament, beating Willoughby South, 40-16, in the title game.
The Badin Rams were 12-4 in 2026, capturing the regional title at Paycor but dropped a rainy affair, 6-0, to subsequent state champion Macedonia Nordonia at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
“I’ve told the Bengals that we would host part of the tournament every year at our Matandy SportsPlex,” said Melzer, of Badin’s first on-campus sports stadium. “We had some games here this year and were happy to have them. We’re glad to be a part of it and contribute to the success of the sport.”
The girls’ flag football is 5-on-5 and played on a field half the size of a men’s football field and there are two 20-minute halves.
More area high schools are now fielding teams and OHSSA Executive Director Doug Ute released a statement noting girls flag football is now sanctioned in 40 states.
“The OHSAA is proud to welcome girls flag football to our family. Flag football has grown so rapidly and will continue to do so. The (Cleveland) Browns, Bengals and NFL put in so much work to promote the game and bring us to this moment,” said Ute.
Badin girls football coach Mike Sebastian welcomed the OHSAA’s ruling and said the sport’s popularity is no mystery.
“It’s fun (and) so fast paced,” said Sebastian. “We have so many athletic girls with good speed, and they just go out there and play.”
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