KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — You've heard of Friday night lights, but this season there's a new addition to football fields across East Tennessee, girls' flag football.
"It's amazing that the Knoxville community rallied around this sport and said we're going to create this team, and we're going to field a team at every single school in this district," said Anderson County Head Coach, Jonathan Cotton.
This new TSSAA sport has a lot of similarities to normal high school football, there's still a coin toss, first downs, touchdowns, penalties interceptions and of course nerves too.
"As soon as I got on the field, heart pounding, hands just shaking my quarterback, we couldn't do a handoff," said Shataya Crowley, Powell running back."
However, there are also a lot of differences from high school football. The game is played 7 on 7, with an 80-yard field instead of a 100-yard field, and 20-yard first downs. Not to mention the biggest difference too, flags you pull instead of tackling your opponent.
"For a second, don't think this is gonna be anything different than regular football. These girls are all in it to win it," said Powell Head Coach Cameron Talmage.
Since this year is the sport's inaugural season in the state of Tennessee, players and coaches alike were unsure just how many girls would be interested.
"We had 54 girls actually show up for the gage interest meeting. So it was quite a good turnout," added Talmage.
"I was super excited to join the team, because, I mean, my whole family is related to football, and getting that opportunity to play, I was like, Man, this is just gonna be a fun opportunity. I was like, I'm gonna take it," said Anderson County quarterback Keiana Gillum.
The interest in the sport and overall gameday experience far exceeded expectations.
"When I found out that my school was having it, and I was like, I gotta join the team," said Powell wide receiver Leilani Doucet.
The first season consists of 16 matches, with a post-season invitational, however, next season Nissan Stadium will host the state championship.
"It's an amazing feeling as a coach to say, 'Hey, I've got kids that want to be here and want to do this,' I've been nervous all day, like, Oh man, I gotta go out and make a great impression. We got to do this the right way," said Cotton.