Olivia Fillipp tuned in for football about once a year with her family for the Super Bowl in February, but other than that, she had limited interest in America’s most-watched sport.

When girls flag football became an official IHSA sport for the 2024-25 school year, Fillipp’s brother Connor, a football-loving 12-year-old who’s a quarterback, encouraged his big sis to try out.

Olivia, a dedicated softball player, obliged.

The two went to toss a football back and forth in the family’s front yard.

Not long after that, Olivia was slinging passes, pulling flags and learning rules with her new high school teammates at Jacobs High School.

She was later named the starting QB as a freshman and helped lead the Golden Eagles to a regional championship. She’ll return to the field this fall but

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