CANTON, Ohio — For years, there was a push to make girls' flag football a state-sanctioned sport. Last summer, that mission was accomplished, paving the way for the inaugural Ohio High School Athletic Association's girls flag football state tournament, held on Saturday at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. A day marking a moment in history for the sport and for the team who walked away state champs—the Nordonia Knights.
Saturday's tournament featured three rounds and eight total teams competing for the trophy from two regions: the Northeast Ohio area, represented by the Cleveland Browns, and the southwest region, represented by the Cincinnati Bengals. A little rain only delayed the games, but the girls on the field would not be stopped.
The first round saw four fields of simultaneous action as Madison faced off against Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, Midview took on Cincinnati Princeton, Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy matched up against Burton Berkshire and Hamilton Badin squared off with Nordonia.
Only four teams came out of the first round, and the semifinals saw Mount Notre Dame against Midview and Berkshire battle Nordonia.
That left just one game, the state championship. It was Nordonia and Mount Notre Dame, and it was a back-and-forth showdown. From a Nordonia interception to start the game to a comeback effort from Mount Notre Dame, the game was full of energy. After the Cougars took a late-game lead with less than three minutes left to play, the Knights had one more chance to drive downfield and regain a lead. And that's exactly what they did.
Nordonia quarterback Hayden Paul found Ava McLendon for the go-ahead touchdown, putting the Knights on top 20-19. Nordonia intercepted a pass on the Cougars' final drive, allowing them to regain possession and run down the clock to earn Ohio's first-ever girls' flag football state championship.
The moment was special, not just for the program, but for Nordonia as a whole.
As the girls received their trophy, OHSAA announced that it was the first-ever girls state championship won across sports for Nordonia, adding to the history of the title.
Nordonia was one of six schools that attended the Browns' first-ever flag football jubilee event back in 2021. Now, they get to call themselves state champions.
