Wayne Memorial, Roosevelt flag teams already look athletic in Year 1

Wayne Memorial and Wyandotte Roosevelt ended their Michigan Girls High School Flag Football League preseason scrimmage on April 11 with a wager.

The rules were simple: Roosevelt had the ball for one final extra-point attempt. A catch in the end zone meant the Bears won. A defensive stop by Wayne gave the Zebras bragging rights. And the loser of the bet? They had to do five pushups.

Yeah, that’s how seriously the two upstart programs are taking their first crack at playing flag football. Which is saying something because almost every player on both teams prioritizes another spring sport, from track and field to softball and tennis. Heck, some are on travel volleyball and basketball teams.

Wayne Memorial Skyann Penn breaks free during a Michigan Girls High School Flag Football scrimmage on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

But, at the same time, everyone, especially the outgoing seniors, recognizes the opportunity at hand. They have a chance to lay the foundation for a growing sport at their schools. They can be the face of a program that everyone might look back 10-20 years from now and say those were the girls who made playing flag football at a competitive level possible.

“Everyone is committed, and there has never been a practice where there haven’t been at least 10 girls there,” said Roosevelt senior Emma Jordan, a four-sport athlete signed with Capital University in Ohio for softball. “We have 25 on our roster, and everyone tries to make it to at least one practice a week. It’s a lot, especially for all of us to play multiple sports and to also play football, but everyone wants to be here, and that’s what makes this so much fun.”

It helps that both schools are dedicated to seeing first-year success.

Interest in Roosevelt’s powder puff program last fall encouraged athletic director Michael Schley to get the ball rolling on establishing a team before December’s registration deadline.

Wayne coach Reggie Pearson Sr., the father of former three-star defensive back Reggie Pearson Jr., who played in college at Wisconsin, Texas Tech and Oklahoma, has been instrumental in starting the Zebras’ program.

Wayne Memorial coach Reggie Pearson Sr. talks to his players during a Michigan Girls High School Flag Football scrimmage on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

He helped River Rouge start its girls flag football team. When he left Downriver to revamp Wayne’s varsity football team last fall, he immediately spoke with the school’s administration about starting a girls team.

Ever since, the Zebras have been hard at work to make their first season possible.

“I just felt like the girls needed a good coach, or at least somebody who was knowledgeable to give them a fair shot at this thing,” Pearson said. “I know many of them are busy with other sports, but this also gives them something else to do. I just felt that I wanted to give them something different to do because I know how fast the sport is growing right now.”

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It sure is growing.

Last year, the MGHSFFL, put on annually by the Detroit Lions for the past four seasons, had only 41 teams and seven divisions. The league has almost doubled in one year, with 80 teams and 15 divisions slated for this spring.

The Zebras had nearly 80 girls try out for the team, all from various backgrounds. Some are involved in year-round sports, like basketball and competitive cheer, while others have no athletic background and focus on other interests, like band.

Wayne Memorial's Kamiyah Spears looks to score a TD during a Michigan Girls High School Flag Football scrimmage on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

They have 25 players on their varsity and JV rosters combined, several splitting time with the track team.

“Being able to split between the two sports has been such a great experience,” said Wayne senior Skyann Penn, a track star whom Pearson recently took on a visit to Saginaw Valley State to see its women’s flag football team. “I go from track practice immediately to football practice, making sure that I get that work in no matter what. … I’m not the biggest fan of football, but being on this team, I’ve been able to learn so much about it and understand why people like it. I like the team itself and how we have to work together in order for all of these plays to work.”

While Penn has no playing experience, she believes she has a responsibility to be a senior leader. Not only is she integral to Wayne’s offense as a receiver, but she also recognizes she’s helping younger players prepare for future seasons.

If Wayne can’t make the state tournament at Ford Field this spring, she wants the program on a trajectory to get there next year when she’s in college.

The same goes for Roosevelt’s upperclassmen. They want to see future success, too. That’s why their jerseys have the word “LEGACY” printed down one sleeve.

“We decided on that word because it’s literally our first year, and we want to leave a legacy here,” said Roosevelt senior Annie Zieger, a Rock Valley College (Illinois) women’s basketball commit. “This spring has already been really good because we’ve laid a strong foundation. A lot of us already have skills, and a lot of our girls are very athletic coming from different sports backgrounds, so it’s not like we’ve had to teach everyone how to run or how to catch. It’s mostly been about learning to play the game together and working on taking that next step forward to show we’re more than just a brand new, fresh team.”

Wayne Memorial's Ma'kaih Williams scores a TD during a Michigan Girls High School Flag Football scrimmage on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

With opening weekend slated for April 24-26, only about a week away, it’s safe to say both teams look ready to compete right now. Having multi-sport athletes has proven to be a boon in the preseason, and that should translate during the four-week regular season.

The only thing that could stand in the way of success is how often they have to share players with other sports. If Penn is too busy at track, or Zieger has a tennis match during game time, that could spell trouble.

“We’ve got to get everybody on the field at all times, with everybody focused,” Wayne junior Ma'Kiah Williams said.

But if both teams have their full depth charts, expect them to have no problem slinging the ball around, especially Roosevelt, which proved just how hungry it is when it got that wager-winning extra point that forced Wayne's players to do five pushups to close out the scrimmage.

Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on his new X.com account at @folsomwrites.

This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Wayne Memorial, Roosevelt flag teams already look athletic in Year 1