Blue Streaks to play in girls flag football tournament
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Three years ago, Jay Ross and his daughter, Kennedy, were watching girls play Flag Football during the NFL Pro Bowl Game.
Kennedy couldn’t help but say what was on her mind.
“There’s no reason we don’t do that at Madison,” she told her father.
Jay Ross happened to be involved in flag football since 1997, so it didn’t take him long to respond.
“I agree,” he told her. “Tell you what, get about five to eight girls together and I’ll coach the team. She sends out one little snapchat to her friends and the next thing you know we’re at Browns Stadium getting our uniforms.”
That was 2024, the first year of Madison’s Girls Flag Football.
Two years later, the Blue Streaks, as the 13th seed, are headed to the University of Akron’s Infocision Stadium to compete in the first round of the 2026 Girls Flag Football State Championship Tournament. They will play No. 4 Fairbanks in their first game at 7 p.m.
The winner goes against No. 5 Magnificat or No. 12 North Royalton at 7 p.m.
In the top half of bracket, No. 1 South goes against No. 16 Warren G. Harding and No. 8 Berkshire takes on No. 9 Canton McKinley.
Games are also scheduled for 8 and 9 p.m.
There are 16 teams in the region. This group includes 11 division champions and five wildcard teams.
The champion and three runner-ups will earn an automatic bid to the inaugural Ohio High School Athletic Association Girls Flag Football State Championship, which is set for May 16 in Canton at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. They will take on the top four teams from the Cincinnati Bengals region.
Madison enters the tournament with a 12-4 record, including a five-game winning streak.
The Blue Streaks, like other area teams, have players who are involved in other sports. Madison’s roster consists of 14 players.
Kennedy Ross is a four-year letter winner in soccer, and was a 100-meter regional qualifier last year.
She will playing flag football at Heidelberg University.
All-Ohio basketball star Gianna LaMarco is the quarterback.
She played flag football for a recreation league in Mentor.
Coach Ross said the others are from different places.
“The girls come from all backgrounds,” he said. “I’ve had cheerleaders, volleyball players, a lot of soccer players, track stars.
“Sometimes, it’s girls that have never tried any sport at all. For the most part, it’s a lot of girls that just decided to give this a try and it’s been awesome.”
Ross, who has coached boys and girls in different sports, said teaching the game of football has been a great experience.
“They are like sponges of information,” he said. “They don’t have any bad habits. They don’t know anymore than you, they don’t have other coaches in the sport, so it’s definitely eyes wide open.”
LaMarco has thrown for 917 yards this season, with 28 touchdowns and a 119.4 quarterback rating. Kennedy Ross has 573 yards receiving, 305 rushing and 14 touchdowns
Freshman CC Alley has a team-best 16 TDs on 466 receiving yards.
Kaylee LaMarco leads the defense with 29 flag-pulls and Payton Kerr is the sack leader at eight.
“We really have about eight or nine contributors on each side of the ball,” Ross said.
Madison is actually officially considered a club team, which Ross said is a luxury because they have been able to continuously meet and practice throughout the year. This spring, the Blue Streaks have practiced about three to four times a week.
The Blue Streaks’ last loss was 32-20 to state-ranked Berkshire.
Coach Ross said he feels really good about his team’s chances.
“We had the lead at halftime, but couldn’t hold onto it,” he said of the last game his team lost. “But since that game, we’ve really rallied around that loss and I think we’re playing our best football right now.”
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