DENVER – The Mile High Blaze is the latest Colorado team to win a national championship after they took home the Women’s Football Alliance Division II championship on Saturday.
The Blaze is a semi-pro women’s tackle football team that plays its games in Aurora, which has been called the Blaze since 2013 and has grown from fewer than 20 players to more than 40 this year. They were featured in one of Denver7's promotions videos previously.
They have won multiple conference championships, but this is their first championship. The Blaze went 4-1 during the regular season, losing only to the Nevada Storm 22-8 in April.
Following the loss, they then ran off five straight wins, including two shutouts, in the leadup to the championship game, which was played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
The Blaze beat the Derby City Dynamite 21-20 to claim the team’s first ever championship.
The Denver Post profiled the team ahead of the championship game, and Denver7 caught up with an understandably hoarse owner Wyn Flato on Monday after the big win.
“What better place to win a national championship and get that ring to bring home to Denver?” Flato said of being able to win the championship in Canton, the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
As the Blaze try to get the attention of the Broncos, whom they modeled their colors after Flato says she hopes girls and other young women take notice of the championship so they too can fulfill their dreams of playing tackle football.
“I hope that it shows youth that they have a place in football, that girls growing up can actually play a game that they love,” she said. “It doesn’t have to stop in high school. You have a place, you know?”
“I also hope that it gives awareness to the community that we are hard-working women that pay to play, and it is our passion, and it pays off,” she added.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis congratulated the team with a social media post on Sunday and followed up by saying he’d be in attendance next season.
“We are all so proud of the Blaze and I’ll bring our daughter to a game next season!” the governor said.
