Flag football gaining steam in Miami Valley in first OHSAA season
· Yahoo Sports
Handoffs, forward passes, crossing routes and reverses are taking place as usual at Welcome Stadium.
Whatever you are used to seeing on a football field still occurred Thursday, April 9, as a triple header of girls games were held — just with fewer players on the gridiron and no contact taking place.
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Girls flag football is still football and it’s growing in numbers.
This is the first year the Ohio High School Athletic Association is sanctioning girls flag football and will conduct a state championship tournament. Ohio is the 17th state to sanction the sport.
Flag football first came to Ohio in 2021 with several schools in the Cleveland area organizing teams. The number of teams has quadrupled to 80 across the state over the past three years, according to the OHSAA.
Both of Ohio’s professional teams, the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, have played parts by helping organize teams and holding camps and events.
“I believe that with this OHSAA-sanctioned change, the excitement has grown,” DPS Athletic Director Victoria Jones said. “We are continuously learning the rules together, while adjusting to the officials and competing. It’s nice to have another option for girls as we approach equity and inclusion. Overall, this experience is supported by our district and community, and we look forward to continued development and growth.”
Badin was one of 20 schools in Southwest Ohio to field a team and won the inaugural girls flag football state tournament in 2025 conducted by the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association.
This is the third year for Dayton schools, with all six Dayton Public Schools — Belmont, Dunbar, Meadowdale, Ponitz, Stivers and Thurgood Marshall — creating teams and holding a league championship in late April.
It’s also the second year that DPS middle schools also are fielding teams.
“I am excited that Doug Ute and the OHSAA have sanctioned this as a sport,” Jones said. “Especially since girls can now receive scholarships to participate. This is definitely a win for female sports, and we are proud to support this new initiative. In addition, we are excited to partner with the Bengals, and our teams look forward to participating in the tournament and playing on their field.”
Ponitz has won the league twice and have not lost either of its first two league games this season. Their first year they lost only once and then proceeded to go undefeated last season.
“We have some new players here this year that have a lot of talent, and they’re growing,” Ponitz head coach Calvin Hunt said. “What I see now is a good chance for us to go to the playoffs and make a nice playoff run.”
The opportunities beyond high school participating in the sport are also beginning to expand.
Wilberforce University is the latest college to announce it will begin a flag football program {span style=”text-decoration: underline”}starting in 2027{/span}. Wittenberg University also has a flag football team.
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Dunbar’s Aunesty Ramey gets off a pass as Belmont’s Emmerance Malike rushes in during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Donisha Davis of Dunbar leaps for a catch in the back of the endzone during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Belmont’s Julianna Robinson-Young takes a handoff from Lillian Rup during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Dunbar’s Ava Howard chases down Belmont’s Julianna Robinson-Young near the sideline during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Belmont’s Jha’kinah Crockett holds up the flag taken from Dunbar’s Mariyah Miller as she attempted to bring the ball up the field during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Dunbar’s Ava Howard avoids a reach by Belmont’s Emmerance Malike to score a touchdown during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Aunesty Ramey of Dunbar outleaps Lillian Rup of Belmont for a catch during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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A Trotwood runner tries to run past Ayana White of Meadowdale during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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A Trotwood player brings down a catch during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Nique Hyte of Meadowdale races past multiple Trotwood defenders during a girls flag football Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Da’ziyah Dancer of Stivers is not able to avoid her flag being pulled during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Earnest Wilson, the head coach of the new Wilberforce University flag football program, watches the action on multiple fields Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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A Trotwood player hands a flag back to Meadowdale’s Angela Kern during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Nalayna Cosby of Ponitz checks with her sideline to see if a touchdown counted during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Mariah Cortner of Ponitz tries to bring down a one-handed catch during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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Gloria Karazaga of Ponitz eyes the ball into her hands as she makes a catch during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
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PHOTOS: Welcome Stadium hosts DPS girls flag football
Girls flag football is undergoing its first sanctioned season by the OHSAA this Spring. Teams from Dayton Public Schools and Trotwood had a tripleheader of games at Welcome Stadium on Thursday, April 9, 2026. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
Dunbar’s Aunesty Ramey gets off a pass as Belmont’s Emmerance Malike rushes in during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Donisha Davis of Dunbar leaps for a catch in the back of the endzone during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Belmont’s Julianna Robinson-Young takes a handoff from Lillian Rup during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Dunbar’s Ava Howard chases down Belmont’s Julianna Robinson-Young near the sideline during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Belmont’s Jha’kinah Crockett holds up the flag taken from Dunbar’s Mariyah Miller as she attempted to bring the ball up the field during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Dunbar’s Ava Howard avoids a reach by Belmont’s Emmerance Malike to score a touchdown during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
Aunesty Ramey of Dunbar outleaps Lillian Rup of Belmont for a catch during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
A Trotwood runner tries to run past Ayana White of Meadowdale during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
A Trotwood player brings down a catch during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Nique Hyte of Meadowdale races past multiple Trotwood defenders during a girls flag football Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Da’ziyah Dancer of Stivers is not able to avoid her flag being pulled during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Earnest Wilson, the head coach of the new Wilberforce University flag football program, watches the action on multiple fields Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
A Trotwood player hands a flag back to Meadowdale’s Angela Kern during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Nalayna Cosby of Ponitz checks with her sideline to see if a touchdown counted during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Mariah Cortner of Ponitz tries to bring down a one-handed catch during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Gloria Karazaga of Ponitz eyes the ball into her hands as she makes a catch during a girls flag football game Thursday, April 9, 2026, at Welcome Stadium. STEVEN WRIGHT / STAFF
* Steven Wright - Staff Writer
Wilberforce head coach Earnest Wilson has been scouting many DPS games this season.
“This is legitimate now,” Hunt said. “For this year, since it’s a sanctioned sport, they have a very good chance to get looked at. And as far as scouts go, we have a couple of girls who have had some letters sent to them. So that’s looking good. I like that opportunity for them.
“I really see a big chance for them to get to college playing a different sport besides basketball and things of that nature. It’s really evolving right now. On the broader side of playing flag football, we are all excited about it.”
Hunt got to take his team to the Bengals facility prior to the start of the season. He said he had not seen his group of girls more excited than to get there as they had never had an experience like it before.
He also said it allowed the members of the team to learn not only what kind of opportunities the sport can lead to, but the amount of effort needed to make the most of them.
“When we went to their camp, they saw the seriousness in it,” Hunt said. “They saw and broke everything down to how scouting goes and where this could take them. That’s one of the things they’re very excited about.”
There weren’t many smiles on the field or the sidelines unless a touchdown was scored or a big stop was made. Game faces were everywhere. The girls were there to compete.