Patrick Queen, Geno Stone and Nelson Agholor watched as Middletown High School claimed the title

When quarterback Kaylee Franklin and her teammates decided to join coach Andy Baker to form Middletown High School’s first ever girl’s varsity flag football team, their goal was simple: “Have fun and don’t suck.”

Ten games later, they became Maryland’s first championship team in the sport as they upset the larger, more experienced Urbana team in overtime at Under Armour’s “The Stadium at the House” in Port Covington on Wednesday.

Given that most of the athletes on the four teams competing in the semifinals and championship Wednesday had never played flag football before (some hadn’t played any sport), the Baltimore Ravens players who came out to watch didn’t know quite what to expect. They were surprised in the best way.

“They’re actually playing really well,” safety Geno Stone said after watching Middletown’s semifinal against Linganore.

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Wide receiver Nelson Agholor said he attended the game because of all the women in his family, particularly his nieces, who would have benefited from the opportunity. He watched the first half of the championship from the Middletown sidelines, and he couldn’t get over the run-pass options (RPOs) and jet sweeps they were running.

Baltimore Ravens safety Geno Stone (26) high fives Middletown players during the Girls flag semifinals at the Under Armour’s “The Stadium at the House” in Baltimore, Wednesday. — Baltimore Ravens safety Geno Stone (26) high fives Middletown players during the Girls flag semifinals at Under Armour’s “The Stadium at the House” in Baltimore on Wednesday. (Jessica Gallagher/The Baltimore Banner)

“A lot of skill — I keep commenting on the RPO play,” Agholor said. “It was pretty amazing. And then honestly, it’s cold out here. Grabbing flags in this weather is difficult. So they’re showing a lot of toughness and discipline, making the plays that they’re making.”

Linebacker Patrick Queen was focused more on the defensive side of the game, but he, too, was impressed with how they were performing so well in the cold.

“I couldn’t imagine if we had to play in shorts,” Queen said with a laugh and a shiver.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor (15) hangs out on the sidelines with Urbana during the girls flag semifinals at Under Armour’s “The Stadium at the House” in Baltimore on Wednesday. (Jessica Gallagher/The Baltimore Banner)

The game was a hard-fought defensive battle, which Queen appreciated, with the score even at six at the end of regulation. Both teams failed to score on any of their three drives each in OT. So they were each given one more play. Whoever gained the most yards would win the game.

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Middletown went first and carried the ball for several yards. The number didn’t matter because Urbana decided to throw and the pass fell incomplete, giving Middletown the win.

“We were already winners in our heads,” Franklin said. “We made it this whole way. This is something no one’s ever done before. And I think our goal was to just have fun, but we knew that we could do it.”

Players came running from the sidelines, everyone meeting in the middle of the field to cheer and sing and dance in celebration while linebacker Patrick Queen looked on, holding the plaque they had won. It took them a while to notice him. They accepted the plaque, thanked him and then went right back to dancing with their teammates, leaving him laughing from outside the huddle.

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Franklin thanked the Ravens for helping to grow the sport; the team made a donation (it would not say how much) to help get the Frederick County league up and running. The Ravens also gifted Frederick County Supervisor of Athletics Kevin Kendro with two Super Bowl tickets to thank him for his dedication to the sport.

Those involved with this first season are hoping the sport will spread throughout the state; next week, the Ravens and Frederick County plan to host an informational session for schools interested in fielding teams during the 2024-25 school year.

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The players who took part in the inaugural season took pride in building a league they hope will flourish.

“Even the teams that you beat and the teams that beat you, you guys still at the end of the day know you’re doing something together that’s inspiring and historical,” Franklin said.