Madison's Valeria Mendez throws a touchdown pass during the first night of the NEO Girls High School Flag Football League at Mentors Jerome T. Osborne Stadium on March 29. (Brian Fisher – For The News-Herald)
The scream of euphoria was one Lexi Berwald had heard before.
However, this time the scream was different. They were coming from the opposite sideline. But somehow it didn't matter to Berwald and he smiled nonetheless.
The Madison women's flag football team had just scored a touchdown on its first drive against Berwald and Mentor's teammates. Madison's team let out an excited scream as Valeria Mendez tied the score with Addie Wesley on the first drive of her first year playing in the Northeast Ohio Flag Girls League.
“After they scored the first touchdown, they went crazy,” Berwald said. “It was so cool to watch. It was like when I was a freshman and we scored our first touchdown. We reacted the same way. To see them so excited. It's great to see.”
Enthusiasm swept over the NEO Flag High School Girls League. What started four years ago as a venture between her five teams has blossomed into more than anyone could have imagined. 51 teams signed up to play high school girls flag football when the league opens its annual spring season with four varsity games and two co-op games on March 29 at Mentors Jerome T. Osborn Stadium did.
“Four years ago, we started as a rec program and had five teams playing,” said Bob Berwald, vice president and co-founder of the league. “We progressed to nine teams, then 20 teams, and now we have 51 teams with 30 schools participating.
“From the outside looking in, it's certainly a lot of growth,” he continued, “but now I'm thinking, 'How can I get bigger and continue to grow this sport?'
Girls' flag football has grown to the point that many area schools now offer it as a club sport, and it is hoped that it will be added as an official OHSAA spot in the future.
Hannah Lee of the Cleveland Browns attended the JTO opening game on March 29th. She marvels at how far the sport has come in the region in such a short period of time. She recalled four years ago when she was hired as an intern by the Browns.
“Girls Flag was an important project that I was working on and trying to develop,” she said, noting that the internship quickly turned into a paid full-time job. She said, “Watching them grow from five teams to what they are now has been really cool and fun to watch.”
The Browns will host a New Era Summit on March 21st at Cleveland Browns Stadium, where the team will be invited to discuss community relations, equipment, nutrition, player engagement, and other areas of football between the Browns and NFL Executive Offices. I listened to presentations from staff. Afterwards, each team posed for photos at a jersey unveiling event hosted by the Browns, where this year's teams received their new uniforms.
“I think flag football is so special because you can be good at any age, no matter what your background is,” Lee said. “It brings together girls who otherwise might not have been best friends in school. But when you put them out here on the field, they connect.
“I don't think a lot of them grew up thinking flag football was an option for them. But in the last three or four years, it's become clear that there is a place for girls in soccer. ”
The opening night of the JTO was packed with highlights, including the Madison program's play in the first game. Katie Sorko, an All-Ohio player on Lake Catholic's state championship volleyball team, had a deft pick-six and also had a few sacks for the Cougars. Berkshire's Alyssa Lawson showed elusive running skills in reaching the end zone, and Lexi Berwald showed strong scrambling skills to avoid the pass rush and threw multiple touchdown passes for Mentor.
“It's really crazy to see all the new teams,” Lexi Berwald said. “Every year, the numbers are growing and growing. My dad keeps saying to me, 'Oh, there's a new school,' or 'Oh, there's that new school.' It's great to see this sport spreading throughout the state of Ohio. ”
This year's league will feature games all over the North Coast, including Perry, Lake Catholic, Euclid, VASJ and Berkshire, just to name a few. The season concludes on May 5th with the annual playoffs and Super Bowl flag game.
“The growth has been phenomenal,” Bob Berwald said. “The infrastructure is in place. The next step is how to continue to grow.”
