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Over the past eight seasons the D.C. Divas have helped change the landscape for women's football, compiling a 57-17 record and winning a league championship.
The Divas will head into Saturday's season opener against the Baltimore Nighthawks
(7 p.m. at Merganthaller Vocational High School in Baltimore) with a new coach in Keith Howard and a deep, talented roster that is comprised of numerous county products. Although none of the Divas are paid to play, they remain active on behalf of the team and typically log more than 200 hours in community service to help raise money for various organizations.
Howard replaces Ezra Cooper, who had been the only coach in the team's history until he stepped down after last season. After five seasons as the football coach at Crossland High School, Howard spent last fall as a receivers coach at Catholic University.
The Divas' rise to prominence in the National Women's Football League came quickly. In their second season in 2002, running back Donna Wilkinson rushed for 1,267 yards in only eight games to become the league's first 1,000-yard rusher. In 2004, Paul Hamlin became the team's owner, and in 2005 the Divas relocated from Eastern High School in Washington, D.C. to their current home at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, where they have only lost one game in four seasons.
The Divas will play their first two games on the road before hosting Pittsburgh on May 2 in their home opener.
In 2006 the Divas capped their third consecutive undefeated regular season with their first NWFL title as they rolled over the Oklahoma City Lightning, 28-7, in the championship game in Pittsburgh. The Divas then made the jump to the tougher Independent Women's Football League, where they posted an 8-0 regular season mark before falling to eventual champion Atlanta in the quarterfinals. Last year the team went 4-4 and missed the playoffs for the first time in five years.
One of the cornerstones for the Divas' success has been quarterback Allyson Hamlin, an Eleanor Roosevelt High School and University of Maryland graduate, who works full-time as a homicide detective in the Prince George's County police department. Hamlin, who will turn 33 this summer, is the classic drop back passer and often connects with wide receivers Tara Stephenson and Nikki Williams on deep passing routes.
On a roster that is virtually a melting pot of players from across the country and from around the globe – Lara Aribasala is from Nigeria – the Divas will have numerous county products on the field in addition to Hamlin. Defensive back Crystal Anyanwu was a track standout at Eleanor Roosevelt and went on to a college track career at Seton Hall. Crystal Boyd, Yakeisha Hines, Sue Izevbigie, Siena Quitania, Dameeka Reese, and Dee Savage are also county residents.
E-mail Ted Black at tblack@gazette.net