Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

For the first time in school history, Brighton High School has a girls' flag football team. And the Bulldog girls are making quite an impression in their first year: they are both undefeated and unscored upon, with two lopsided victories under their belt.

Last year, the National Football League established a pilot program for high school girls and four teams were organized. This year, the program has grown exponentially, with 24 schools, including Brighton, establishing programs. According to BHS flag football coach Brian Lemons, roughly 600 girls from schools across the state are participating in five pilot leagues.

Brighton is in the “All Grit” league, along with Battle Creek Central, Saline, Holly, St Joseph and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard. According to the Detroit Lions front office, Nike supplied the uniforms and USA Football provided the equipment.
In girls’ flag football, there are seven players on each side of the line of scrimmage, unlike regular, 11-player football.

A total of 34 BHS girls signed up for flag football, easily enough to field a team, and the results this first year have been impressive. In their first game, Brighton shut out Gabriel Richard of Ann Arbor, 34-0, and in their second game trounced Holly, 30-0. The season includes three games which kicked off on April 19th and conclude this Sunday.

On Sunday, Brighton will play Saline High School in the cavernous confines of Ford Field in Detroit. The game begins at 1:30 pm, and the public is invited to attend at no charge. Lemons says that although admission is free, there will be an $8 charge for parking.

Lemons, who is also the head varsity football coach at Brighton, says having a team in Brighton, in his words, "is a great opportunity to work with more students in the district, build relationships, and create more school sports.” Lemons’ coaching staff includes Assistant Coach Emily McCann, offensive coordinator Brandon Krugh, and defensive coordinator Aaron Chiles.