Built From the Ground Up: Coach Rachel Karos and the Willowbrook Warriors

When girls' flag football arrived in Illinois, Willowbrook High School didn't wait to see if it would catch on. They helped make it happen.

Under Head Coach Rachel Karos, the Willowbrook Warriors have become one of the most respected programs in the state. Since launching in 2022, the program has grown from 25 athletes to 75. That first season, the team won the inaugural Chicago Bears Girls Flag Football State Championship. Since then, Willowbrook has hosted the first IHSA Girls Flag Football State Championship and placed third at state in both 2023 and 2025.

The Warriors finished 17-2 this season and won their 3rd regional championship in a row before losing to Oswego East in sectionals.

Coach Rachel Karos

A coach who plays the game

Rachel doesn't just coach football. She lives it. She plays quarterback for the Chicago Winds of the Women's National Football Conference and has more than a decade of flag football experience. That perspective shows up in how she builds athletes: confident, prepared, and proud to be football players.

Her work has earned statewide and national recognition. She was named the inaugural Chicago Bears Flag Football Coach of the Week, selected as a coach for USA Football's Select Bowl, and honored by the IHSA as the 2024-25 Girls Flag Football Coach of the Year.

Flag football has given me far more than I have given it. The opportunities I have been given have allowed me to be part of once in a lifetime experiences, but more importantly it has given me a platform to be able to provide opportunities to my athletes.

Coach Rachel Karos

Fall 2026 season leaders

The Warriors brought playmakers on both sides of the ball this fall.

Offense

• Janell Adams led the team with 1,667 total yards, 1,118 rushing yards, and 27 touchdowns.
• McKenzie Edison led all receivers with 1,204 receiving yards and added 25 touchdowns, for 1,521 total yards.
• Liz Pettinger added 979 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.

Defense

• Janell Adams was just as dominant on defense, leading the team with 98 flag pulls and 26 sacks.
• Liz Pettinger led the team with 13 interceptions.
• Lillian Macias added 11 interceptions and led the team with 4 pick 6s.
• Dream Walker recorded 15 sacks and 51 flag pulls.

Season leaderboards powered by Blitz Board Stats. Graphics courtesy of Willowbrook Girls Flag Football.

The staff behind the program

No program grows like this without a strong staff. Rachel is joined on the Willowbrook sideline by assistant coaches including Nicole Matheson and Nicki Griffith, who help bring the Warriors program to life every season.

Not only are Nicki and Nicole extremely knowledgeable and talented football players and coaches, my players are able to see themselves in them, further proving that representation matters.

Coach Rachel Karos

Why programs like Willowbrook matter

Girls' flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and programs like Willowbrook show what's possible when a school commits. Every season adds more athletes, more opportunities, and more proof that this sport belongs.

That growth also means athletes deserve the same visibility as any other sport: real stats, real recognition, and a record of what they accomplished. That's why Blitz Board Stats exists.

On our Board of Advisors

We're proud to have Rachel Karos and Nicole Matheson on the Blitz Board Stats Board of Advisors. Their experience as coaches, players, and builders of the game helps keep our platform grounded in what coaches and athletes actually need.

Blitz Board Stats is a COPPA compliant and SDPC certified stat tracking and team management platform built for flag football, and a WBENC-certified woman-owned business. Want to see your program's stats come to life? Your first game is free. See how it works for high school programs.