Willowbrook senior to receive two awards for historic success on flag football field, as well as academic accomplishments

Photo at left by Joe Pearson

Willowbrook senior Sarah Ball (pictured above) has been a tremendous leader and member of the school’s historic flag football team this year and will be recognized with the following two awards for her athletic and academic success.

Ball is one of three recipients of the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter’s Scholar-Athlete Award, which recognizes students for excellence on the football field, in the classroom and in the community and provides them with a $5,000 scholarship. Ball is the first flag football player and the third female student-athlete to receive this award. She will be honored on Feb. 20 at Halas Hall in Lake Forest.

Ball also has been named as a #65 Honor Roll winner, which is an award created in conjunction with the Patrick Mannelly Award to honor high school athletes throughout the Chicago area who best exemplify excellence, integrity, effectiveness, teamwork and balance. Ball will be honored on Dec. 10 at Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff. To read more, go to https://patrickmannellyaward.com/65-honor-roll/.

Another highlight for Ball this year includes being featured during the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” show on Sept. 22, where she was named as the NFL FLAG Player of the Week for demonstrating proper playing technique. To watch the segment, go to https://dupage88.net/site/page/15102.

Ball has helped the Willowbrook Warriors to a tremendous first season, during which the team won the inaugural Chicago Bears Girls Flag State Championship on Oct. 29, Regionals on Nov. 13 in Ohio and qualified to compete at the NFL FLAG Championships at Pro Bowl in February 2023 in Nevada.