In a landmark year for Chamblee flag football, the Bulldogs’ season had it all.

Chamblee, which missed out on the state playoffs by a single game, tripled its win total from last year, winning five of its last six contests to finish 9-10. However, arguably its most exciting moment wasn’t on its home field – rather on the Atlanta Falcons playing surface.

Led by third-year head coach Erica Harris, the Bulldogs were invited by the Falcons and honored on the field before Atlanta’s game against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 16. For a team that went 3-15 in 2024, the ovation was well deserved for Harris’ team, which had an unforgettable experience.

“For a lot of my girls, that was their first time ever attending a Falcons game, let alone an NFL game,” Harris said. “For them to be there with their parents, just to see the Falcons players up close, I think it was a life-changing experience that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. Many kids don’t get the opportunity to get on the field and to be honored by the Atlanta Falcons. It was just a momentum shift and I think because of that, our players’ friends are excited about next season and coming out for tryouts. I’m going to expect another growth spurt of kids that will be out with us in the spring.”

The Bulldogs’ season was highlighted by a 19-0 shutout of Columbia and a 26-6 win over Miller Grove on the regular season’s final day. Chamblee’s 6-0 overtime loss to Northview in October proved to be the deciding factor that kept the team out of the postseason, but the program is on an upward trend heading into 2026.

“Our quarterback, Lara Smith, was a part of the inaugural team and she’s a senior who had a breakout season,” Harris said. “Another senior, Samariya Hill had over 400 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. We’re losing five seniors, but we still have a lot of depth as far as the sophomores and junior class that are coming up for next year and we’ll be looking for the opportunity to go to the playoffs. We’re excited. We have a JV squad that I introduced last year to the school. We had so many players that wanted to play, and were fortunate enough to add that team, and their record was .500 this season, so Chamblee flag football is on the rise.”

Like so many flag football teams in the state, Chamblee’s roster number has grown exponentially, with experiences like the Bulldogs had at Mercedes-Benz Stadium only aiding the interest level in the sport.

“In 2023, we had 20 girls that came out. This spring we had over 100 girls that tried out, so it has grown tremendously in the school,” Harris said. “I think you can point to the winning culture that we’ve had this season in addition to the girls understanding what flag football is and wanting to play because of the momentum of it growing as a sport for females to participate in something that is generally male dominated. I have five coaches now,  and it was just me my first year. Because of the momentum and the growth, there’s no reason why we can’t be successful in the years to come.”