Richmond's women's football team is competing for a championship Friday

One by one, members of the Richmond Black Widows took to the field at Montrose Elementary School Tuesday evening, practicing one final time before the biggest game in franchise history.

It is fitting that the final game of their first decade of existence is for the Division 3 National Championship of the Women’s Football Alliance. It’s a stage that a few players, the Black Widow originals, know very well. 

That 2016 title game saw the Acadiana Zydeco best Richmond 20-18. Mel Rouse remembered the myriad of emotions.

“It was the most heartbreaking game I’ve ever played in my life,” Rouse recalled. 

At age 45, Rouse has seen it all. Players have come and gone. Franchises, too. In a sport with minimal exposure, you find ways to control what you can, and focus on getting better. Rouse has turned her tackle football experience into greener pastures.

She owns GrindTime Fitness and Sports Training, where she works with athletes and others who want to train with an athlete's mindset.

“A main focus is mental mastery performance,” she said.

Rouse deals with arthritis in her hip, thus, mental preparedness is of the highest priority come game time. Thinking about a “what if” scenario for her condition between downs means not being fully ready for the next play. 

For another original, Sha Maclin, the Black Widow opportunity came out of the blue once arriving to Richmond from her childhood home outside of Memphis, Tennessee.

“To be honest, I didn’t think I was going to play,” Maclin said in reference to appearing at an event. “I thought it was going to be a good workout. But the people who were out there with me as well really encouraged me to stay.”

And stay she did, all through a topsy turvy first 10 seasons. The Black Widows had winning records their first four years, saw the 2020 season canceled due to the pandemic, and suffered their first losing season in 2021 at 1-5.

Year in and year out, the WFA has seen teams created, teams fold. Richmond has had opponents back out of a game at the last minute. Home games have taken place at several locations over the years.

Coming off back to back 2-4 campaigns, there wasn’t much chatter about the 2025 squad. But Maclin noticed something different very early on.

“We started trusting one another. Most of us have been together at least two years now, we know each other, and we’re building that good chemistry,” Maclin explained. “This year, we really hit it. We made sure we did things together outside of football, while making sure to take care of each other inside the lines, too.”

That successful formula helped the Black Widows roll to a 6-0 mark in the regular season, followed by a pair of playoff wins over the Upstate Lady Predators and the Connecticut Ambush. Heading into Friday’s title game against the Oklahoma Rage, the defense, anchored by Rouse and Maclin, both linebackers, has given up just 26 points all season.

Oklahoma, the American Conference winners, are also undefeated, and bring a more West Coast style of offense. Players were quick to note the Rage’s impressive passing game.

But the Eastern Conference champion Black Widows are very confident in their game plan. They’re physical. They want to wear opponents down. Ball control and pressuring the quarterback will be key to bringing home the franchise’s first WFA title.

Friday’s game between Richmond and Oklahoma will be played at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio, site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, beginning at 2:30pm. It will be televised online by the All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN).

Growing women's football in the area

But, win or lose Friday in Ohio, lest you think the team and its players will shrink into the woodwork until next spring, think again.

While preparing for the 2025 season, several Black Widow players served as coaches in the first year of girls’ flag football at several area public schools, centrally focused on Richmond Public Schools.

“It’s such a great opportunity,” Maclin noted excitedly. “Mel coaches at Varina, we have players coaching at Armstrong, and I actually own a flag football team, the 804 Mafia. So you’re seeing us helping to expand this football world for women and girls.”

And with youth flag football, both boys and girls, saturating sports television last weekend, the momentum these women have sought to be a part of seems to be happening.

The Richmond Black Widows have positioned themselves for the future. But first, a championship.