The first iteration of the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, featuring the United States Flag Football Team facing off against the Wildcats and Founders — made up of an assortment of current and former National Football League (NFL) stars and other celebrities — took place on March 21, at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The event, intended to promote the USA team in the leadup to the integration of flag football in the 2028 Summer Olympics, featured a round-robin tournament followed by a final game to decide the champion. Despite the other two teams featuring stars such as Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Saquon Barkley and Davante Adams, team USA prevailed, blowing out both teams in round-robin play and edging out a close win in the final against the Wildcats.
In the first game of the tournament, Team USA faced off against the Wildcats. The Wildcats, led by San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, consisted of Burrow in the quarterback position along with Barley, Adams and the recently retired Odell Beckham Jr. Despite featuring these players, as well as numerous other NFL all-stars, the Wildcats struggled to adjust to the new rules of flag football, with many defenders instinctively attempting to tackle players on the opposing team. The United States team quickly dispatched the Wildcats, winning 39-14. The Wildcats were scoreless going into the half and continued to struggle in the final quarters of the game despite a touchdown each by Burrow and the Wildcats other quarterback, Jayden Daniels. Team USA, captained by quarterback Darrell Doucette, ended the game with a total of five touchdowns, solidifying themselves as a top contender in the competition.
After winning their first game, the USA quickly prepared to take on the Tom Brady led Founders. The 48-year-old gave the Founders an early lead with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Stefon Diggs followed by Brady’s former Patriots teammate, Rob Gronkowski, completing the two-point conversion. The Founders lead, however, was short-lived, as team USA subsequently scored 43 unanswered points. Quarterback Jalen Hurts managed to score a rushing touchdown for the Founders just before time ran out, leading to a final score of 43-16 for the USA, clinching a spot in the championship game.
In the final game of round-robin play, the Founders and Wildcats faced off to decide who would play team USA in the final. This game was much closer than the previous two, ending with a score of 34-26, with the Wildcats winning. The teams traded touchdowns early, with Hurts and Burrow both scoring for their respective teams. The Wildcats ended the first half up 14-12. In the second half, Burrow and the Wildcats furthered their lead, scoring another 20 points in the time it took the Founders to reach 18. The Founders managed to score another touchdown in a rushing play from Hurts, ending the game and sending the Wildcats to the finals.
Having adapted to the new style of play that comes with flag football, the Wildcats were able to keep up with team USA for much of the championship game. Daniels gave the Wildcats an early lead with a touchdown pass to Adams. Douccette and Ja’Deion High quickly tied the game for team USA. For the remainder of the half, neither team scored until Doucette rushed into the endzone to put the USA up 12-6 just before halftime. To start the second half, Doucette repeated this feat, giving the USA an even larger lead. Burrow cut down the lead to four points with a pass to Daniels. Team USA ended the game scoring another touchdown, winning the championship 24-14.
Leading the USA to their victory, with three touchdowns in the championship game, Doucette was named the Most Valuable Player. Winning the Flag Football Fanatic Classic, team USA asserted themselves as the frontrunner to represent the United States at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, proving themselves to be on the same level as the star players of the NFL.
