Edgewood girls flag football thrives despite small roster and limited practice

Edgewood’s girls flag football team turned one practice a week, Sunday games and a roster short on experience into an 8-2 spring that ended just shy of the playoffs. The Warriors strung together six straight wins, then beat previously unbeaten Berkshire 26-19 in double overtime.

Olajuwon Cooper earned Ashtabula County Coach of the Year honors, shared with Conneaut’s Tatum Pew. Cooper said the season was powered by the girls’ willingness to practice after softball or track and by the team’s “winning mentality,” with assistant coach Tyler Welton and supportive administration helping keep the operation steady while the schedule stayed tight. Edgewood was one of the early local teams in the rollout, alongside Conneaut and Madison, and it spent much of the spring squeezing football into the margins of crowded school calendars.

The Warriors’ top names were spread across every level of the lineup. Carly Kray, the county player of the year, gave Edgewood a standout presence, while quarterback Annie Mae Johnston managed the offense and wide receiver Haylee Rhodes provided a target in space. Natalie Ianetta handled center duties, Emmalyn Warner anchored linebacker, and Natalie Stump gave the secondary a steady defensive back. Edgewood outscored opponents 180-65 over the final five weeks of the season.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association sanctioned girls flag football as a state-championship sport beginning with the 2026-27 school year, and Cleveland Browns materials put Ohio as the 17th state to sanction the game. The Browns put the program at six Northeast Ohio schools in 2021 and 120 schools in 2026, and the inaugural sanctioned state championship tournament will be held May 16 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.