On Wednesday, Sept. 4, the second season of girls' flag football in Maryland will commence with the Kick-Off Classic – a 26-game slate across eight different statewide locations. A ceremony will be held at each of the eight locations, while Ravens Cheerleaders, Poe and Legends, including Femi Ayanbadejo, Bryan Hall, Trevor Pryce, Ray Rice and Torrey Smith, will be on hand at several of the game sites to take in the action. The Washington Commanders will also support the initiative with appearances from their spirit squad, legends and mascot at each of the four Montgomery County locations.
In 2024, all participating schools will play competitively in a fall calendar that mirrors other seasonal athletics facilitated by their respective districts. The season will conclude with a championship event held at M&T Bank Stadium on Nov. 8.
Under Armour – a leading inventor, marketer and distributor of branded athletic performance apparel, footwear and accessories – will continue to outfit custom uniforms for each team.
Beginning the week of Sept. 9, the Girls Flag Coach of the Week, presented by Head & Shoulders, will be awarded to the 10 girls' flag football coaches who have made a significant impact on their student-athletes. Recipients of the award will be announced on Ravens social media channels (@RavensCommunity) throughout the duration of the 10-week program. Each Girls Flag Coach of the Week winner will receive a $2,000 donation to their school's football program and have an opportunity to be named the Ravens Girls Flag High School Coach of the Year at a Ravens home game in December.
Newcomers in Year Two of the Ravens-led girls' flag football initiative in Maryland include Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools), Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and Washington County Public Schools (WCPS), while the 2023 pilot-league teams from Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) will also compete again this season.
With 53 participating high schools, this girls' flag initiative is rapidly advancing towards the ultimate goal of becoming a state-sanctioned sport and allowing female student-athletes in every Maryland county to receive these same opportunities well into the future.
KICK-OFF CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Baltimore City (two locations)
Dunbar HS (1114 E Monument St, Baltimore, MD 21202)
Ray Rice will be on site from 5-6 p.m.
- 3:30 p.m. – Reginald F. Lewis vs. ACCE
- 4:25 p.m. – Dunbar vs. Mervo
- 5:15 p.m. – Ceremony
- 6 p.m. – Green Street Academy vs. Digital Harbor
Western HS (4600 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21209)
Trevor Pryce will be on site from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- 3:45 p.m. – Ceremony
- 4:15 p.m. – Forest Park vs. Douglass
- 5:20 p.m. – Edmonson vs. Patterson
- 6:30 p.m. – Carver vs. Western
Frederick County (one location)
Frederick HS (650 Carroll Pkwy, Frederick, MD 21701)
Femi Ayanbadejo will be on site from 5-6 p.m.
- 5 p.m. – Ceremony
- 5:30 p.m. – Walkersville vs. Brunswick & Middletown vs. Catoctin
- 6:30 p.m. – Oakdale vs. Gov. TJ & Tuscarora vs. Urbana
- 8 p.m. – Linganore vs. Frederick
Washington County (one location)
North Hagerstown HS (1200 Pennsylvania Ave, Hagerstown, MD 21742)
Bryan Hall will be on site from 6-7 p.m.
- 5 p.m. – Clear Spring vs. Williamsport
- 6 p.m. – Ceremony
- 6:30 p.m. – Boonsboro vs. Smithsburg
- 8 p.m. – North Hagerstown vs. South Hagerstown
Montgomery County (four locations)
Richard Montgomery HS (250 Richard Montgomery Drive, Rockville, MD 20852)
- 3:30 p.m. – Rockville vs. Sherwood
- 5 p.m. – Ceremony
- 5:45 p.m. – Einstein vs. Springbrook
- 7 p.m. – Richard Montgomery vs. Gaithersburg
(Northwood HS has a Week 1 bye, but will be on site)
Wootton HS (2100 Wootton Pkwy, Rockville, MD 20850)
Femi Ayanbadejo will be on site from 3:15-4:30 p.m.
- 3:30 p.m. – Walter Johnson vs. Poolesville
- 5 p.m. – Ceremony
- 5:45 p.m. – Quince Orchard vs. Northwest
- 7 p.m. – Wootton vs. Clarksburg
Paint Branch HS (14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, MD 20866)
- 3:30 p.m. – Blake vs. Kennedy
- 5 p.m. – Magruder vs. Wheaton
- 6:15 p.m. – Ceremony
- 7 p.m. – Paint Branch vs. Blair
Seneca Valley HS (19401 Crystal Rock Dr, Germantown, MD 20874)
Torrey Smith will be on site from 5:30-7 p.m.
- 3:30 p.m. – Damascus vs. Bethesda-Chevy Chase
- 5 p.m. – Watkins Mill vs. Whitman
- 6:15 p.m. – Ceremony
- 7 p.m. – Seneca Valley vs. Churchill
