Whitewater High is launching a flag football team this fall, and the Lady Wildcats will take the field with the help of some important friends.

A $6,000 grant from the Atlanta Falcons and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, along with an additional $3,000 grant from Nike, will go a long way towards getting the Lady Wildcats ready for their inaugural season of GHSA-sanctioned flag football.

“The excitement level at Whitewater High School for flag football is off the charts. We have had girls from two- to three-sport athletes to girls who haven’t participated in extracurriculars come out in droves,” said coach Nicholas Benson. “The excitement is not limited to the girls. I have had varsity football players express how excited they are for them, and they have come out to workouts to help spread their knowledge of the sport to our Lady Wildcats.”

The Wildcats first season will launch with varsity and JV play this fall. Games kick off in October with area opponents including Starr’s Mill and Fayette County.

“We are looking very forward to being able to offer our student-athletes this opportunity and thank GHSA and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for helping us hit the ground running.”

— Provided by the Fayette County School System.