Osborne 'ready to get out there and compete' as 2023 season begins

The 2023 Georgia High School Association flag football season is now underway and for the Osborne Cardinals and head coach, Phillip Nasworthy, having the young ladies back on the field and competing has been an “awesome” feeling as they get their season underway in hopes of reaching the postseason for the third consecutive season and potentially making a deep run.

“The girls have been working hard, they’re putting in time, they’re putting in the sweat equity they need to put in and they’re just ready to get out there and compete,” Nasworthy said of his players and their preparation for the season. And while the season kicked off on Tuesday for the Cardinals, they will be without several players, who are still participating in other sports, yet Nasworthy says the growing interest has been felt within his program.

“When I got here, they told me I only had five returners but we actually had 27 girls come out for tryouts and I was blown away by that. And we probably still have another eight or 10 more that are doing volleyball and softball and will be out when those seasons are over so the numbers are growing and I’m excited about the future,” Nasworthy added.

And as for the flag football and how the sport has grown within the past four season throughout the state of Georgia, Nasworthy credited his players for being among the “pioneers” of the sports. “The girls don’t realize that they’re making history. 20 years from now when this is just another sport, these girls are the ones that paved the way for that,” Nasworthy said.