TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—When the Immaculate Heart Academy Blue Eagles take the field this spring, they’ll be making school history — not on the softball diamond or soccer pitch, but on the gridiron.
The all-girls Catholic high school is adding varsity flag football to its powerhouse athletic lineup, joining a fast-growing statewide movement that’s putting girls’ football in the spotlight.
To lead the new team, IHA has tapped Jack Walsh, a Saint Joseph Regional alumnus and varsity coach at his alma mater, where he graduated in 2015. A two-sport athlete in football and lacrosse at SJR, Walsh went on to play Division I football at the University of Maine.
“I’m thrilled for this opportunity,” Walsh said. “The enthusiasm from the IHA community has been incredible. Flag football is exploding across the country, and to see young women taking ownership of the game at this level is inspiring.”
Athletic Director Steve Ferro called the addition both timely and transformative.
“We’re incredibly excited to be at the forefront of this rapidly growing sport,” Ferro said. “Our young women already excel on the field while balancing a rigorous academic program, and I have no doubt they’ll bring that same grit and determination to the football field.”
The program will debut alongside IHA’s 17 established athletic offerings — representing 36 teams across freshman, JV, and varsity levels. Since 1990, the Blue Eagles have claimed 146 state championships and 115 county titles, and more than 20 members of the Class of 2025 have already committed to college athletics.
Adding flag football, Ferro said, continues that tradition of excellence while expanding opportunities for student-athletes to challenge themselves in new arenas.
Founded in 1960, Immaculate Heart Academy serves roughly 650 students from nearly 100 New Jersey towns and more than 20 in New York. The school celebrates its 65th anniversary this year and remains a Blue Ribbon School recognized for academic rigor, artistic and athletic achievement, and service-driven sisterhood.
Prospective students can learn more about IHA’s academic and athletic programs at the school’s fall open houses, Saturday, Oct. 19 (11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.), and Wednesday, Oct. 23 (6:30–8:30 p.m.), at 500 Van Emburgh Ave.
Registration is available at ihanj.com; walk-ins are welcome.