INDIANAPOLIS — Under the bright lights at Warren Central High School, the girls' flag football team was celebrating Senior Night and a bond that goes far beyond hash marks and yard lines.
For players like junior Saniyah Hunter, the game is more than a sport.
“I played because it’s just an escape from every day. You know, your thoughts,” Hunter said. “It’s just so I don’t have to go home. And when I say that, it’s because when I’m at home, a lot goes through my head; problems I face there or things I deal with at school.”
Her teammate, junior Ryanna Benson, says the team’s support is vital.
“It helps with my mental. They help bring me up when I’m having bad days,” Benson said.
On this night, Warren Central faced Pike, but the real story was their unity. Coach Meckenzie Brown said her mission is to build more than athletes.
“We need other figures outside of the household, into the community, to let them know that other people care for them, love them, and want to see them strive,” Brown said.
Flag football for girls in Indiana has seen rapid growth since the IHSAA recognized it in May as an emerging sport, with financial backing from the Indianapolis Colts and the Irsay family. What began with eight teams in 2023 has jumped to at least 60 teams this season.
For Terra’e Stowers, the lessons are as much about life as they are about football.
“It shows you how to get along with people from different backgrounds and go through things together,” she said.
Senior Faith Bullock sees the sport as a cornerstone for their community.
“Us showing that it’s a community around us shows this community is actually big and close together — it’s a major thing on the East Side,” Bullock said.
As the final whistle blew, one thing was certain: for the girls of Warren Central, flag football is more than a game. It’s a sisterhood, an outlet, and proof of the power of sports to unite and uplift.
