MASSILLON, Ohio — Badin High School defeated Willoughby South 40-16 Sunday afternoon to capture the Inaugural Ohio Girls High School Flag Football State Championship at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Badin (13-3) won its first state championship in the sport in the program’s first year.
“This title represents all the hard work that the girls put in,” Badin coach Mike Sebastian said. “At Badin, we always have multi-sport athletes and this shows how much you can do when you come together. And this opportunity for girls to participate in a sport they love is something that will take off. I am just happy to be there at the beginning.”
The Battle of Ohio tournament saw Badin defeat Berkshire and then Mount Notre Dame leading into the state final. The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns worked together to organize the statewide tournament.
“We are proud of the coaches and the girls,” Badin athletic director Geoff Melzer said. “Everything fell into place from the beginning and for a first-year team, their effort and dedication was special. Thank you to (Bengals Director of Community Engagement and girls flag football coordinator) Taylor Conklin and the Bengals organization for everything they do.”
Sebastian said he and assistant coach Christy Even are grateful for this year’s special trip to a state championship.
“We all had to learn everything together,” Sebastian said. “Christy and I had never coached flag football before. We had to learn everything with the girls. And to cap off this journey by winning a state championship is a great accomplishment for the seniors and the program.”
The Badin athletic department said the sport continues to grow quickly and it may have enough student-athletes for varsity and junior varsity teams next school year. The school is looking forward to hosting its own games next spring.
Badin opens a $15 million on-campus stadium starting June 6. The Terry Malone Field in Lanni Family Stadium at the Matandy SportsPlex will host soccer starting Aug. 15.
Bengals.com said the 2025 season featured 350 student-athletes from 20 local schools in Greater Cincinnati, up from six participating schools in 2024.
The Bengals hosted Cincinnati's Girls High School Flag Football Championship presented by Secret at Paycor Stadium on May 10. The top four teams — Mount Notre Dame, Badin, Seton and Shroder — advanced to Sunday's Battle of Ohio State Championship.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association said last week it is exploring its options for potentially sponsoring girls flag football.
