EAGAN, Minn. — The only thing cooler than Talia Vescio's calm execution with 25 seconds remaining before halftime was the modest — almost shrugging — smile that appeared as she turned to the Rosemount sideline after her touchdown passes.

Vescio's seventh passing TD of the Minnesota Girls High School Flag Championship made it a 45-12 margin late in the second half and invoked a mercy rule, ending a valiant day by Rogers High School, which entered the 13-team tournament presented by the Minnesota Star Tribune as the No. 13 seed.

The Royals had recorded three upsets on their way to the final, topping St. Louis Park in the opening round, Cretin-Derham Hall in the quarterfinals and Park Cottage Grove (after multiple overtimes) in the semifinal round. After falling behind 14-0 early against Rosemount, Rogers was mindful of another comeback, cutting the deficit to 20-12 with 25 seconds remaining before halftime.

Vescio opened the quick possession with a gain of more than 20 on a pass to Abby Essler and didn't get rattled after taking a sack. She got some of the yardage back with a gain of about 9 to Taylor Krieg, leaving enough time to spike the football on third down to stop the clock with five seconds remaining. That left time for one more rep, and Vescio placed the ball where the defense wasn't — and in the hands of Delaney Macken down the right sideline for a 26-12 lead.

"It puts you in a great position for the halftime," Vescio said. "I just think getting the confidence to know, 'OK, we have a bigger lead now. We can just go.' After the halftime, we let our defense play amazing, and we just went. Knowing that we have that security, it really helps."

Coach Jeff Erdmann relayed an anecdote from the team's final practice before the tournament.

"One of the last things we did were 2-point conversions from like 10-12 yards," Erdmann said. "And we talked about how if the safety's over [toward the middle of the field], do a line shot down to Mack' in the corner, and that's just who [Vescio] is. She knows that, and she just throws a dart down there, and it's a huge part [of the game's outcome]."

Olivia Owusu caught the first two and final two scores from Vescio, and Krieg made it 20-6 on a 45-yard score that answered Rogers' first TD of the title game, a 6-yard toss from Alexa Juntunen to Paige Fenstra.

After Juntunen made it 20-12 with a pass to Kelsy Berglund, Vescio found Macken to end the half. In the second stanza, the Irish clamped down on defense, and the offense put together a two-play scoring drive on 28- and 22-yard passes from Vescio to Stella Garcia before later adding the third and fourth receiving TD on the day for Owusu.

"[Vescio is] really smart and cool under pressure, and she makes great decisions with the ball," Erdmann said. "Hats off to Rogers — that was their fourth game [of the day]. That's really tough in this type of heat and trying to play athlete to athlete against us; we're pretty athletic, so Talia did a great job of giving when she needed to and being able to pull and making great throws to our athletes that made dynamic plays."

Rosemount, which had helped establish high school girls flag football as one of four pilot programs in Minnesota in 2024 (and won that season), again stood tall at the end of this year's title tournament, capping a third season in which the number of programs in the state expanded from 51 to 104.

The Irish edged No. 10 seed Minnetonka in overtime in the quarterfinals and outlasted No. 6 seed Centennial in the semifinals.

The Vikings have helped support the rapid growth and expansion by providing flag kits and opportunities for coaches as the Minnesota State High School League has examined the possibility of sanctioning the sport.

Erdmann was asked what needs to happen for girls flag football to become sanctioned.

"I think what we need is every school, every parent of a girl that plays, every young parent, they need to call their school athletic directors, their school board members and put pressure on them, that we want this to be a state-sanctioned sport," Erdmann said. "The Vikings have done an incredible job of promoting and giving girls this opportunity, and after our section championship game, we had our girls take their pictures with their moms who never had a chance to play this [sport]. We need people to step up and put pressure on their schools to put pressure on the Minnesota State High School League to make this happen. Minnesota State High School League is driven by the schools, so we've got to do the grassroots of putting pressure on them so we can get it to be a sanctioned sport."

Vescio and defensive back Ava Kaspar have loved the ability to achieve with teammates. The rising seniors also are excited about expanding opportunities for younger players.

"It just feels so good and to know that younger girls are looking up to us to be able to play football in future generations," Vescio said. "It is just awesome. I'm so proud to be able to be a leader for people to come."

Added Kaspar: "My sister and her friends, they're all fifth graders. They're going to have the opportunity to play this, hopefully, when they're in high school, and I am really excited for them. It's a really awesome sport. You learn so much. I'm just really happy that we were able to help give them the opportunity."

Participating teams were able to interact with and learn from U.S. Women's Flag National Team receiver Izzy Geraci and defensive back Laneah Bryan, who served as honorary coin toss captains.

"I just want to say how much of an honor it is to be out here and get to watch these girls compete. The competition level here in Minnesota is super cool," Geraci said during halftime of the championship. "We just want y'all to know that there's an opportunity for you in this sport beyond high school, into college, hopefully pro and then the Olympics. I'm just here to remind you of that, that you'll have a future, and it will keep growing bigger and bigger."

Bryan, who shares her hometown of El Paso, Texas, with Vikings RB Aaron Jones, Sr., is in her fourth year on the team.

"There's so much opportunity in flag football now. With the 2028 Olympics on the horizon, it's just continuing to grow," Bryan said. "If you guys have a dream, have a passion for this sport like we do, pursue it. There's scholarship opportunities and so much space. We have a similar background. We both played basketball in college, so to see you out here playing the way you are is really motivating for us. We just hope you continue to explore this sport and enjoy it the way we do."

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and All-Pro receiver and flag ambassador Justin Jefferson shared words of encouragement with the teams during Monday's tournament and excitedly welcomed Rosemount's title team to Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center as special guests at Thursday's minicamp practice.

O'Connell, Jefferson, Jones, receiver Jordan Addison, linebacker Eric Wilson and several others spent time with the champs, happily signing autographs, posing for pictures and sharing words of encouragement and a mutual love of football.

"We had some very special visitors to our final minicamp practice today from recognizing the state champions from Rosemount," O'Connell said as he opened his media session by sharing podium space with Erdmann, Krieg and DB Olivia Danner. "I got a chance to go out to the games going on at our facility. Nothing is better than when we're bringing in people to take part in events here at our facility down there.

"I have two daughters, and the fact that you're paving the way and making flag football what it is and where we all hope it goes from here," O'Connell added. "We were all taken back by the energy, the passion, the enthusiasm and your ability to help continue to promote the game. Years from now, people will remember teams like yours as the early state champions of many for years to come."

Jefferson, who helped announce the inclusion of men's and women's flag in the 2028 Summer Olympics, expressed similar sentiments.

"It was just really great to talk to them and give 'em a little bit of motivational words before they started, but it's just really crazy and really inspiring to see the impact of the game," Jefferson said. "I told them that they're really inspiring to the next generation of women that are coming up, the girls that are coming up and wanting to play football and make a difference and be a change, be something different in the world. So it is really impactful, and I was really glad to be a part of this."

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