MILWAUKEE— The Milwaukee School of Languages girls flag football team is headed to the national stage after winning the NFL FLAG Regional Championship in Green Bay.
The regional title earned MSL a spot in the NFL FLAG Championships, taking place July 24-26 in Indianapolis, where the team will represent the Green Bay Packers against 31 other teams from across the country.
The championship games will air nationally on ESPN, ESPN2 and Disney, giving the student-athletes a huge opportunity to showcase their skills before a nationwide audience.
MSL Athletic Director Robert Slavens said the team’s success is the result of hard work, dedication and a commitment to one another throughout the season.
“Our ​head ​coach ​and ​I, ​about ​three ​years ​ago, ​he ​was ​coaching ​middle ​school ​flag ​football ​and ​has ​a ​love ​for ​flag ​football. ​And ​we ​kind ​of ​got ​wind ​that ​this ​was ​gonna ​take ​off,” Slavens said to WTMJ. “​So ​we ​started ​kind ​of ​early ​compared ​to ​everybody ​else. ​Never ​really ​would ​have ​imagined ​that ​we ​would ​get ​this ​far.”
The team also received personalized Green Bay Packers championship jerseys and commemorative championship rings after capturing the regional title.
“When ​we ​won ​the ​regional, ​these ​girls ​got ​rings ​like ​the ​size ​of ​boulders,” Slavens said.  ​Huge, ​huge ​championship ​rings. ​You ​should ​see ​these. ​I ​mean, ​the ​Packers ​and ​the ​NFL ​in ​general ​is ​really ​behind ​this ​whole ​NFL ​girls ​flag ​movement. We ​definitely ​didn’t ​go ​up ​to ​the ​tournament ​thinking ​that ​we ​were ​going ​to ​win ​it. We ​just ​figured ​we’d ​compete, ​and ​all ​of ​a ​sudden ​we ​didn’t ​lose. ​So ​here ​we ​are.”
Quarterback Savanna Davis was named the regional tournament’s Most Valuable Player, helping lead MSL to the championship and a berth in the national tournament.
“Savanna ​is ​a ​rare ​combination,” Slavens told WTMJ. “​She’s ​a ​multi ​sport ​athlete. ​She’s ​our ​best, ​potentially ​one ​of ​the ​best ​softball ​players ​in ​the ​city, ​one ​of ​the ​best ​volleyball ​players ​and ​definitely ​one ​of ​the ​best ​girls ​basketball ​players. ​So ​she ​plays ​three ​sports. ​She’s ​going ​to ​Mount ​Mary, ​to ​play ​at ​least ​two ​of ​them. Just ​a ​really ​well ​rounded ​athlete.”
Slavens said the program is creating opportunities that extend well beyond high school flag football. He said two players on the team have already committed to play flag football in college with their tuition covered, something he believes is just the beginning as the sport continues to grow.
“We’re ​gonna ​be ​able ​to ​look ​back ​and ​be ​like ​we ​were ​part ​of ​that ​foundation,” he said. ​”​We ​were ​the ​pioneers ​of ​that ​because ​I ​truly ​think ​in ​10-20 ​years, ​this ​is ​gonna ​be ​huge ​and ​nobody’s ​gonna ​know ​anything ​different. ​But ​we ​were ​part ​of ​the ​movement ​to ​get ​it ​started. ​I ​mean, ​that’s ​pretty ​special. ​And ​we’ve ​mentioned ​that ​to ​the ​girls, ​and ​the ​girls ​understand ​that. ​So ​they ​feel ​as ​if ​they’re, ​you ​know, ​ambassadors ​of ​this ​game ​and ​just ​getting ​it ​going ​and ​getting ​it ​off ​the ​ground ​and ​running. ​We ​already ​have ​two ​girls ​that, ​you ​know, ​signed ​and ​they’re ​getting ​a ​college ​paid ​for ​through ​this, ​which ​I ​never ​thought ​would ​happen ​either.”
Flag football continues to gain momentum across the country, with the sport scheduled to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angles.
Slavens, who serves on the WI Sanctioning Board, said there is growing optimism the sport could become an officially sanctioned WIAA sport by the fall of 2027.
“We’re ​underway ​really ​learning ​from ​the [WFCA] ​Wisconsin ​Football ​Coaches ​Association, ​just ​kind ​of ​the ​ins ​and ​outs ​and ​the ​organization ​of what ​conferences ​are ​going ​to ​look ​like, ​what ​levels ​are ​going ​to ​look ​like,  ​All -Star ​Games, ​playoffs, ​all ​these ​different ​things,” Slavens said.
MSL opens play at the NFL FLAG Championship Friday in Indianapolis, looking to cap off a season that has already made school history.
“For ​a ​small ​MPS ​school ​to ​represent ​the ​whole ​state, ​much ​less ​the ​Green ​Bay ​Packers, ​I ​mean ​it’s ​pretty ​special ​stuff,” Slavens said.
