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Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BC Central, Detroit Lions part of the growing sport of high school girls flag football
BATTLE CREEK - It's been a long time since an area high school football team has played on the final weekend of the season at Ford Field for a chance at a state championship. Unless you count the Battle Creek Central girls flag football team. Advertisement In the growing world of girls high school flag football, the Battle Creek Central Bearcats advanced to the final tournament and played at Ford Field last spring in their first season of the sport. And the Bearcats are hoping to do that again. "It was cool. Like, during the NFL season, my family was watching the Lions and I just said, 'I played on that field. And, scored a touchdown,'" said Battle Creek Central's Ka'aliyah Williams. "It was great we got a chance to do that. It's a fun sport to be a part of." MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: Pennfield track standout Alex Lutgring smashes discus record held by his uncle Doug Geno Advertisement Harper Creek's Nicolich playing for late father, 'he has the best seats in the house now' Battle Creek Central's Nae'ary Wilson and Jayne Bradley run a drill during a flag football practice at Battle Creek Central High School on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Battle Creek Central is one of three area teams participating in girls flag football this spring, along with Marshall and Colon. The Bearcats will play their final regular season game on Sunday (May 18) at Colon. At 2-1, heading into that game, BCC has a chance to advance to the postseason tournament at Ford Field once again. The Detroit Lions helped create the Michigan Girls High School Flag Football League, which started with just four teams in its inaugural season in the spring of 2023 and grew to 24 schools and 600 participants last spring. With even more growth this year, the league is the first of its kind at the high school level in Michigan, aiming to join the 13 other states where girls high school flag football is state-sanctioned. The Michigan High School Athletic Association hasn't yet adopted girls flag football as a varsity sport, but the hope is that one day it will. Battle Creek Central's Ka'aliyah Williams starts a drill during a flag football practice at Battle Creek Central High School on Thursday, May 15, 2025. "We had a group of girls that came together and this was something they were passionate about, in wanting to have a flag football team last year," said BCC coach Mario Brown. "We heard the Detroit Lions were having a pilot program and it went from there. Advertisement "The aspiration is that it will one day become a varsity sport. The biggest decision is whether it will stay in spring, or if it works better in the fall." The noncontact version of football, the teams are made up of seven players on the field. There are rules regarding how teams can run and pass the ball. But the basics remain the same, which makes it fun for those involved who grew up loving the game. Battle Creek Central coach Mario Brown throws to players during a flag football practice at Battle Creek Central High School on Thursday, May 15, 2025. "It's a vey exciting sport," BCC's Nae'ary Wilson said. "It's nice that is noncontact so the girls can get into it. It's been a great experience. Plus, there are scholarships out there. For example, Siena Heights has a college program." Advertisement Brown and his team practice a couple times a week, learn new plays as they go, and develop flag football skills. "We have girls that are athletic enough, that they really adapt to the game quickly. From there, it's about learning the rules and the plays," Brown said. "There have been more and more girls each year here at Battle Creek that are excited about it. The biggest hurdle is that most of our girls are multiple-sport athletes and they have other sports they are playing as well. So that's been the biggest obstacle." Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@ Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Michigan flag football: Battle Creek Central, Marshall field teams
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vote: Who is your Battle Creek Enquirer Preseason Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year?
BATTLE CREEK - We are listing the top 30 high school track athletes in the area and asking readers to vote for who will end up being the Battle Creek Enquirer Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year when the season is over. It's the 2025 Battle Creek Enquirer Preseason Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year poll. Advertisement Meets have just started, and some athletes are already serving notice that they are ready for breakout years. But here's a preseason list of possible choices. MORE: 2025 Battle Creek Enquirer Girls Track Season Preview Battle Creek Central athletes jump in the girls' 100 meter hurdle race during the Gull Lake Track and Field Invitational at Gull Lake High School on Friday, Apr. 11, 2025. You can vote for who you believe to be the Preseason Battle Creek Enquirer Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year below. Online poll open until noon on Monday. The list of athletes was gathered from the collection of players to watch for the area in our season preview. Here's our list of 30 girls track athletes in our Preseason Enquirer Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year poll (in alphabetical order): Erykah Alexander - Battle Creek Central Advertisement Sophie Braithwaite - Climax-Scotts Evelyn Calow - Lakeview Emily Dingee - Marshall Charley Duckworth - Bellevue Alivia Endsley - Bellevue Julie Faber - Harper Creek Lilamae Frank - Lakeview Alexis Green - Battle Creek Central Reagan Henry - Tekonsha Madelyn Hensel - Pennfield Natalie Hensel - Pennfield Kelis Howell - Lakeview Lane Isom - Gull Lake Lailah Jones - Lakeview Mallory Kincaid - Athens Jaidyn Klimp - Galesburg-Augusta Raegan Magnus - Lakeview Gabriella Melges - Lakeview Izzie Miller - Harper Creek Alexandra Nevins - Pennfield Emmy Nofs - St. Philip Cassidy Pratley - Harper Creek Georgianna Schmidt - Marshall Advertisement Arenn Starks - Lakeview Allison Stauffer - Athens Maura Young - Marshall Taylor Vandenberg - Harper Creek Charley Williams - Athens Nae'Ary Wilson - Battle Creek Central Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@ Follow him on X/Twitter @billbroderick This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek's top 30 high school girls track athletes for 2025 season
