Romeoville’s Milan Cadet is the Herald-News inaugural girls flag football Player of the Year

Historic. That’s the most apt word to describe the 2024 girls flag football season. After all, it was the first season the sport was sponsored by the IHSA. For many schools, it was the first year they played in any capacity. That would include the Romeoville Spartans and their slot receiver Milan Cadet.

If you spent even a few minutes at a Romeoville game this year, there’s no way you would’ve known she’d never played before.

Cadet, a sophomore, compiled 2,317 all-purpose yards for the Spartans this season to go with 38 touchdowns, and that was all before the playoffs. Not bad for a kid who had never played the sport before.

Far more than “not bad,” truthfully, as the Herald-News has recognized Cadet as its first girls flag football Player of the Year.

“It feels great to be recognized for all that I’ve done this season,” Cadet said. “I worked pretty hard.”

Officially, Cadet hauled in 96 catches for 1,860 yards while rushing for 457 yards. She was a force to be reckoned with in the postseason as well, scoring a 97-yard touchdown reception in the opening-round game against Bremen. In three playoff games, Cadet scored seven touchdowns and accounted for 46 points with conversions included.

“Milan is very valued by her peers,” Romeoville coach Chaz Kuhn said. “Even as a sophomore she’s already looked up to a lot. ... When she signed up to do this flag football thing that so many people didn’t know anything about, it kind of gave validity to our program. Now that she has the accolades that she’s accrued, I think even more people around the school and the state can see that and will want to be a part of that now.”

Cadet already was a decorated and successful athlete before the season. That’s impressive given that she’d only taken part in one season of high school athletics before this year, but it’s the truth. As a freshman, she was a part of the Spartans’ state-qualifying 4x100-meter relay team in track. Although flag football is a different beast, Cadet said the experience this year was beneficial for her in many ways.

“I was pretty excited when I found out they were adding flag football,” she said. “I wanted them to do that since I was in middle school. Getting to be a part of it was a really big deal for me. I really enjoyed the support and getting to do another sport other than track, as well.”

A gifted speedster, Cadet’s ability to move around the field in different positions made her a valuable piece of a potent offense. That versatility, athleticism and her commitment to helping the team helped vault her into the player of the year conversation and ultimately helped her win it.

“Her flexibility [helps make her special],” Kuhn said. “When you’re first trying to learn a sport, natural ability is the first thing you’re looking at. Her flexibility and willingness to allow us to try and put her in different positions played a huge role in her success. We moved her around and maximized her talents and her willingness to roll with the change was huge.”

The Spartans had an outstanding season overall. They went 9-5 in the regular season before advancing to the sectional semifinals. They bring back the entire starting lineup on offense and the majority of the defense, as well. All of that is to say that the future of girls flag football in Romeoville is looking bright.

“The expectation is always to get better than the year before,” Kuhn said. “The goal will be to make a state appearance. This year was very much about, ‘Here’s how you throw a football and here’s how you catch a football.’ We’re past that and doing more complex things now. ... Our starting line is far higher, and we have even more of a grasp on the game plan and how to advance that game plan moving forward.”

Obviously, Cadet will be looking to win this award again next year and hopefully the year after that. However, for all aspiring future players of the year, she had a simple piece of advice to give.

“I would say just keep working hard,” she said. “No matter what happens, even if you’re not where you want to be, you can always get where you want to be. Keep working no matter what.”