In last week’s Good News Friday, I wrote about the Carolina Hurricanes’ quick sweep through the first round of the NHL playoffs, and the team played off that momentum this week, storming into the second round with two wins against the Philadelphia Flyers at Raleigh’s Lenovo Center.
On Thursday night, the ’Canes had another decisive win during Game 3 in Philly, setting up the chance for another sweep. But those results on the ice aren’t the only good news in North Carolina’s sports world this week.
With its ruling to allow women’s flag football as a varsity sport at high schools across the state on Wednesday, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association has changed the face of high school sports here for the better.
That’s why I’ve “flagged” this story as the perfect way to kick off Good News Friday this week.
Girls get a spot on the football field with NCHSAA ruling
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Board of Directors voted Wednesday to officially sanction women’s flag football as an NCHSAA championship sport, becoming the 21st state to recognize the game as a varsity sport in their high schools.
“Today’s decision represents a meaningful investment in the future of our student-athletes, in this case females, and the continued evolution of school-based athletics in North Carolina,” said NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker. “Girls’ flag football offers an inclusive, fast-paced, and highly engaging opportunity for students to compete, connect, and grow through sport, and we’re proud to bring it into our championship program.”
High school flag football in North Carolina will be governed by the NCHSAA and compete under National Federation of State High School Associations rules. The season will take place in the fall, with the first NCHSAA Flag Football Championship taking place in late 2026.
Wednesday’s move comes as women’s flag football has seen a rapid rise in popularity. The Carolina Panthers launched a girls’ high school flag football league in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Athletics in 2022, expanding to more than 150 schools that have committed to participating in the 2026-27 school year.
It also comes two years before flag football makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.
Scott Hallenbeck, CEO and executive director of USA Football, commended the NCHSSA following Wednesday’s vote.
“Our US Women’s National Team pipeline gets stronger every time a new state sanctions girls’ flag football, and North Carolina is already well ahead of the curve,” Hallenback said, crediting the Panthers’ league for developing an existing talent pool.
“USA Football is proud to play a role in what comes next, and for many of these young women, that could mean representing their country on the international stage when flag football makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.”
Conservation advocates join forces to save nature reserve
The North Carolina State chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) this week joined the ongoing efforts of the Three Rivers Land Trust to save the Tuckertown Game Lands, committing $50,000 to preserving the nearly 4,000-acre tract of wildlife habitat situated along the Yadkin River and Tuckertown Reservoir in Davidson, Montgomery, Rowan, and Stanly counties.
Up until recently, corporate landowner Alcoa has leased the lands to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), which manages wildlife on the property and public access to its game lands. However, the land has now been put up for sale, potentially ending decades of public access and making it susceptible to residential development.
The cash infusion will be put toward the Three Rivers Land Trust’s goal of purchasing the property and transferring it to the NCWRC in perpetuity. A pledge from outdoor brands onX and Meateater to match donations up to $100,000 will double the impact of the NC NWTF’s donation.
“The bottom line is we all can’t live on a piece of asphalt,” said Howard Rumfelt, NC NWTF State Chapter president. “What this land purchase does is conserve this land so future generations can enjoy it in perpetuity. And it’s for everybody. If you want to fish, if you want to hunt, if you want to hike, it’s there for all of us.”
Novelist with NC connections wins Pulitzer
The Pulitzer Prize Board on Monday announced the 2026 Pulitzer Prizes for journalism, books, drama, and music. While none of the winners are currently based in the Tar Heel State, one novelist recognized for his work in fiction does have strong ties to North Carolina.
Daniel Kraus was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his 2025 World War I novel, Angel Down. The story tells of five Great War grunts who come across a celestial being that’s been struck down by artillery fire. The book has garnered attention for its distinctive structure, as Kraus tells the entire tale in a single, drawn-out sentence — a style that adds to the breathless tension throughout the book.
Though recognized for his fiction, Kraus first became known for his documentary filmmaking while living in Wilmington, where he worked as a cameraman for WECT in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
It was there that he met then-Brunswick County Sheriff Ronald Hewett, whom he would make the subject of his acclaimed documentary Sheriff. Eventually becoming the first in a four-film series Kraus called “Work,” Sheriff premiered on PBS in 2006 and saw a theatrical release in 2007.
Kraus currently lives in Chicago, but we’re happy to claim him as (partly) a North Carolinian.
