‘It completely has changed my life': Why the first year of WPIAL flag football was a smashing success

"Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics blared over the speakers at Newman Stadium on a crisp, clear Tuesday evening as the Shaler Titans and host North Allegheny Tigers warmed up.

This was the biggest stage yet for girls flag football around here, the first night of playoff games in its first season as a WPIAL sport. A year's worth of firsts will culminate with Thursday night's semifinals and championships at Upper St. Clair High School.

"I think it went very well," WPIAL executive director Vince Sortino said. "I think the girls, the schools and the teams seemed to enjoy the new sport."

Sortino acknowledged there were some programs that weren't quite ready for flag football at this level, and the league had to deal with forfeits here and there toward the end of the season. He noted athletes trying to split their time between multiple spring sports may have been a factor.

But that was not an issue for the teams in action Thursday across the area, from North Allegheny to Upper St. Clair and from Gateway to Montour. These were the best of the best - and now Shaler, Mt. Lebanon, Moon and Plum are moving on to the final four.

"It's definitely a lot more competitive this year," Shaler senior quarterback Paige Querio said. "It feels amazing."

Shaler senior quarterback Paige Querio surveys the field pre-snap during a win against North Allegheny in the regular season at Shaler. Querio committed to continue playing flag football next season at Mercyhurst.(Jamie Weber/J.M. Weber Photography)

Querio has been playing since she was a freshman, when the sport was more of a grassroots effort spearheaded by the Steelers. Now that it's being played by the National Federation of State High School Associations rules, adjustments had to be made.

The field is longer now, which took some getting used to, even for the more experienced players such as Querio. They also had to figure out punting, which Shaler used to its advantage more than once in a 19-0 quarterfinal victory against North Allegheny.

"The officials, the coaches, the players involved, they've all adapted and worked well together on it," Shaler athletic director Stephanie Strauss said.

In this transitional year, the road will end in the WPIAL finals. There's no PIAA bracket just yet, although the state plans to hold a tournament next year as it does in other sports.

North Allegheny coach Michelle Ruiz was pleased with how the WPIAL took the handoff from the Steelers in giving flag football a new platform. She didn't want her team's defeat Thursday to spoil what was a successful season, but it did point out one of the logistical challenges in the new endeavor.

The condensed playoffs with doubleheaders meant both teams that won their first game had a late night. The 8 p.m. scheduled start time wasn't close to accurate, and after pulling out a 34-20 win against Kiski Area, North Allegheny had 15 minutes to recharge before facing Shaler.

"I definitely think there should be some different arrangements as far as that goes," Ruiz said of the postseason schedule. "Two games in a row on one night is tough - and on a school night, nonetheless. So restructuring that needs to be taken into consideration.

"But overall, for the season, I thought we got a decent amount of games. The sections were pretty competitive, for the most part. And the growth of the sport is looking good, which I'm really excited about."

A few of Shaler's players have committed to continue playing flag football in college, including Querio, whose future Mercyhurst teammate, Luciana Zagacki, was on the opposite sideline playing for North Allegheny. Now, Querio and her fellow Titans on Thursday night will vie to be the first-ever WPIAL champions in flag football.

Four years ago, she was all about soccer and would've told you you're crazy if you predicted she'd be two wins away from a football championship. She's gone from having a passing interest in the game to sitting down at the dining room table with her dad discussing plays.

"I ended up loving it way more than soccer," Querio said. "It completely has changed my life."

And the WPIAL has changed the game for countless girls in the area.

"It was a good thing," Sortino said of the inaugural season. "Everyone was just trying to feel out the sport itself and what it takes to get through a spring season. I'm glad we were able to give them that opportunity prior to the PIAA offering it the next cycle."

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.