Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

The Brighton Bulldogs girls’ flag football team came agonizingly close to winning the first-ever state championship in girls’ flag football this past weekend. However, they were edged out 21-20 Sunday by St. Joseph - a school on the West side of the state - at Ford Field in Detroit.

The game came down to the last minute-and-a-half, with Brighton scoring and going for two points in hopes of taking the lead. However, a goal line stand by the Bears held, thus securing the victory. The game was organized by the Detroit Lions, who hope to make girls’ flag football a sport sanctioned by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

The Michigan Girls High School Flag Football League began with a mere four teams in 2023 and grew to 24 teams last year before growing to 41 schools this year. Detroit Lions Executive Director of Football Education Chris Fritzsching says the growth has been exponential, with more than 60 schools interested in joining the league in 2026.

The tournament featured division leaders from around the state including top-seeded Brighton, along with Clawson, Redford Union, Lapeer, L’anse Creuse North, Gibraltar Carlson and St. Joseph. The teams play in seven divisions: All Grit, All Us, It Takes More, One Pride, All Fight, We Want More and All Heart.

Brighton High School Coach Brian Lemon told WDIV-TV in Detroit that, in his words, “People are getting educated in what we’re doing, and it’s causing word of mouth. Once they get into it and experience the realness of it, it’s kind of contagious."


Top photo: Brighton parent Bonnie Olszewki with her daughter, Savannah, at Ford Field in Detroit Sunday. Courtesy of Facebook.