High school flag football star
Ki'Lolo Westerlund of
Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) headlined a two-minute NFL commercial right after the Super Bowl LIX halftime show Sunday.
In the commercial, Westerlund is challenged by the jocks of the school to see who is the better player and she pulls out all the stops to leave them grasping at air en route to end zone. See the full clip here:
Westerlund's highlight-worthy moves in the commercial aren't just a product a television magic. The senior has hauled in 111 receptions for 2,188 yards and 36 touchdowns this season for the Patriots, the No. 4 team nationally in the winter flag football rankings. She has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in 11 games while topping 200 yards in four contests.
She won a state championship as a freshman and has 493 catches for 8,354 yards and 126 touchdowns in her career.
Liberty begins the playoffs Tuesday against No. 5
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas).
The commercial finished with text saying, "Let's make girls flag football a varsity sport in all 50 states."
Ki'Lolo Westerlund warms up prior to a December game against Shadow Ridge. (PHOTO: Timothy Roseberry)
Girls flag football is a sanctioned sport by 12 state associations and another 19 are involved in pilot programs at some level.
The number of participants in girls flag football has more than doubled from 2022-23 to the 2023-24 season, when 42,955 girls played according to
NFHS.
Florida has the most with over 10,000 players while Georgia topped 6,200. The Atlanta Falcons hosted the girls flag football state championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., is another famed stadium to host state championships.
Serenity Simon of
Palmetto (Miami, Fla.) is also in the commercial. The Class of 2025 senior helped the Panthers win the 2A state championship last season as a junior after recording 734 yards and eight touchdowns. On defense she contributed four sacks and two interceptions. Her senior season begins Feb. 18.
NFL players Myles Garrett, Marshawn Lynch, Pat McAfee and Justin Jefferson also made appearances in the commercial. Jefferson is a NFL flag football ambassador and the sport will make its debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
