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HILLSIDE, Illinois (WBBM) -- Girls' flag football is now an official high school sport in Illinois, but a controversy at a west suburban high school has forced the girls to give up their season.
At Proviso West High School in Hillside, the girls were excited to get to play flag football, with this being the Illinois High School Association recognizing it as a sport. Miracle Perkins and Damiyah Yard trained hard to play this year for the Panthers.
"I love football," said Miracle, a freshman at Proviso West, "like, that's one thing I wanted to grow up and do."
Damiyah, a junior, saw playing on the new Proviso West team as an opportunity to play in college.
Chicago Bears President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren even spoke last February about the significance of girls playing football.
"We will remember Valentine's Day as the day the girls' flag football became a sanctioned sport in the state of Illinois," Warren said Feb. 14.
But despite putting in the work on the field, the Proviso West girls' flag football team has not played a game this season—and will not be doing so—because of what is happening off the field.
"They just canceled our whole season, which I feel like they took it out on us," said Miracle.
Naquita Williams, known better as Coach China, was hired at the last minute to coach the girls' flag football team at Proviso West.
"We just want to coach. We just want to work," Williams said.
Soon after Williams was hired, Proviso Township High School District Interim Supt. Alexander Aschoff said in a statement, "The district received a complaint alleging misconduct, prompting an immediate investigation."
"We can't do politics with kids," Williams said.
Williams said she has not even been told why she is being investigated.
Some of the players even appealed to the school board for Coach Williams to rejoin the team. But Williams was not allowed to coach, and no replacement was ever hired—ultimately costing the girls their season.
"They're are always caught in the middle," Williams said. "These kids are in the middle of drama with adults."
"I just got really mad and stuff, because like, you're ruining our opportunities," said Miracle.
Leaders at Proviso West did not specify the nature of the investigation against Coach Williams—only saying it is ongoing.
