14-05-2025
Warren G. Harding girls flag football team finishes first season
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — In a sport that's traditionally dominated by boys, on Tuesday, a group of young women at Warren G. Harding High School snagged the spotlight.
Warren G Harding has a rich athletic history but this spring, these ladies wrote a new chapter, one flag at a time.
'I've been a football fan for a minute. My brothers were athletes,' said Jaleah Provitt.
Jaleah Provitt is a junior at Harding and the quarterback of the girls' flag football team, made up of more than 20 ladies. The team is just wrapping up its first season, finishing with a 6-2 record.
'It's a big deal to me because my siblings get to see their little sister doing something they did,' Provitt said.
The Raiders' success earned them a trip to Cleveland, qualifying for the fourth annual Northeast Ohio Girls Flag Football Tournament at Huntington Bank Field. They are one of 16 teams competing for a girls' flag football championship.
'That was crazy, being on the Cleveland Browns Field. I've never even been to that stadium… It was so many people there. It was families there, screaming and cheering. It felt like I was at a real football game,' said senior Ky'ziya Minor.
The Raiders went 1-1 in the tournament, ending their season just shy of the ultimate goal but it was an experience they'll never forget, competing against teams who have been together for years.
'I'm really proud. Just seeing how far we came from March to now was incredible. I really just wanted to come out, have fun. I wanted the girls to have fun, and I wanted them to learn what it was like to come together as a team,' said head coach Justin Blair.
Their success on the field speaks for itself but it's the bond they've built off of it that's keeping them connected.
'I'm very proud because nobody expected us to win at all. Nobody expected us to make it to the playoffs,' Provitt said. 'I feel like we get more plays down. We can learn from the other girls. We can have fun with it. We can do our thing and bring out our talents.'
Artistics Silk Screening in Warren provided the team with brand new jerseys for their big tournament. The company was called on after a mix-up with their previous uniforms.
The girls were surprised with a jersey reveal before the fourth annual Northeast Ohio Girls Flag Football Tournament.
Despite the quick turnaround, Artisitcs said they were happy to help the girls get game-ready.
'I was just really grateful that we were able to provide something for them. I know they haven't had a lot of opportunities for fundraising and stuff because it's such a new program. We love helping out local schools, but especially Warren. We love it here,' said Artistics Silk Screening owner Brianna Trimbur.
Trimbur said she hopes the uniforms provided a boost for the team and says she was excited to be a part of the team's inaugural season.
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