photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

The Baldwin girls flag football team poses for a photo to celebrate its regional victory against Lawrence in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

With a trip to the first-ever KSHSAA state flag football quarterfinal on the line, Saturday’s substate championship between Baldwin and Lawrence was going to come down to offensive execution.

In a battle of two defensive-minded teams, it was the No. 2-seeded Bulldogs (11-1) who made the necessary plays in the second half to defeat the seventh-seeded Lions, 13-0, in Baldwin City.

“This is so huge for them,” Baldwin head coach Kayson Matthews said. “For this to actually be a sanctioned season for a lot of these girls’ senior years, I’m just so excited for them.”

The Bulldogs, like many other teams across the state, got their start as a club program last year, but with a lot of returnees this season, the team has come together throughout the entire fall.

“We have good chemistry,” junior Maleka Flory said. “We all get along, and we all like each other, and that really helps. We’ve been playing with each other for about a year now, and making progress, building it up every single year.”

For Lawrence, the Lions finished the season 8-3, coming up just a few plays short in the end. However, head coach Silas Dulan said he was fortunate to be in a position to lead the team, and proud of his group for their effort all season.

“I feel blessed to be the first flag football coach for Lawrence High,” Dulan said. “Lawrence High is a football school, Lawrence is a football town … Our girls have shown grit, game in and game out … My heart is broken for my seniors, (I) wish I could have done more for them, but we also have a great nucleus coming back next year.”

That grit was demonstrated by the Lions in their semifinal game against Bishop Carroll, as they scored twice in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind 14-13 win, setting up the matchup with Baldwin, which defeated Wellsville 33-6 earlier on Saturday.

“We’ve talked a lot about our identity, and I’ve called our girls the comeback kids,” Dulan said.

Baldwin’s offense got off to a quick start in the championship game with two first downs as senior quarterback Emme Nigh completed a pass to junior Alyssa Flick before running it herself for a second first down, before the Lawrence defense held steady and forced a punt.

The Lions also picked up a quick first down on their opening drive, but the offense stalled there, punting the ball back to the Bulldogs.

The first scoring chance of the game came for Lawrence late in the first quarter as junior quarterback Macyn Ramsay kept the ball herself for a first-down rush and connected with sophomore Marley Doleman to get the offense inside the 20-yard line. A bad snap, however, moved the Lions backwards, and an incompletion on fourth down gave the ball back to the home side.

Both teams punted on their next drive before Baldwin got the ball back and moved the ball past midfield after a reception by senior Audrey Searl. The drive ended there, however, as freshman Jordyn Dooley came up with an interception on the very next play for Lawrence.

“Defense is our identity,” Dulan said. “Our girls have given up very few touchdowns (the) entire season … Our defense is who we are, and that’s what we’re going to continue to be.”

Lawrence’s drive began with under two minutes remaining in the second quarter, and a defensive pass interference resulted in an automatic first down. The Lions moved the chains twice more, but a stop on the final play of the quarter by the Bulldogs kept the game scoreless at halftime.

After forcing a punt on the opening drive of the second half, Baldwin’s offense finally broke through. A pair of carries by Nigh started the drive before she connected with Flory, who evaded a few tackles on her way to the end zone. Nigh then converted the one-point try, putting the Bulldogs ahead 7-0.

“I just tried my best to keep my eyes across the whole field,” Nigh said. “(Lawrence) did have good coverage, and thankfully Maleka was there on the left, so I just hit her, and she had the moves to get into the end zone.”

Added Flory: “I thought they pulled my flag three times, but they didn’t, so I just kept running and moved my hips, and yeah, ran into the end zone.”

Lawrence was then forced to punt after a three-and-out, but a sack by Doleman and a pair of incompletions, including a pass breakup by junior Zoey Barber on fourth down, put the offense back on the field.

The Lions’ offense converted two first downs and looked destined for the end zone to start the fourth quarter, but Flick perfectly played the pass and intercepted Ramsay near the goal line to give Baldwin all the momentum back.

“It really set the game,” Flick said. “It got us all hyped up; it was awesome.”

Flick’s return gave the Bulldogs possession past midfield, ultimately leading to Flory’s second touchdown of the game on a short pass from Nigh.

“That feeling was incredible,” Nigh said. “We knew we really needed that touchdown to put this game away … We ran the routes sharp, and I just trusted my offense to go get the ball, and they made it happen.”

Ramsay and the Lawrence offense made one last attempt to keep the game alive, but three straight bad snaps gave the ball to Baldwin, which was able to kneel out the rest of the clock and make history, advancing to the state quarterfinals.

“It’s amazing, man,” Flick said. “If you asked me a year ago if I knew I was doing this, I would say no … but it’s happening (and) it’s the best feeling.”

The state quarterfinals will be played on Tuesday at host sites yet to be determined. The Bulldogs’ quarterfinal game location could come down to the slimmest of margins, but either way, the team knows it will have the support of its fans throughout the rest of its playoff run.

“Our community is such a big part of our school,” Nigh said. “Having them here really just helped build our momentum … They continued to cheer us on, and it was incredibly helpful.”

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin celebrates its regional victory against Lawrence in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin celebrates its regional victory against Lawrence in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin celebrates its regional victory against Lawrence in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin celebrates its regional victory against Lawrence in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin’s Emme Nigh runs the ball against Lawrence in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin’s Maleka Flory celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Lawrence in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Macyn Ramsay runs the ball against Baldwin in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Jordyn Dooley runs the ball against Baldwin in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence’s Macyn Ramsay passes the ball against Baldwin in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

photo by: Henry Wiley/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin’s Emme Nigh prepares to pass the ball against Lawrence in Baldwin City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.