The Richmond Black Widows claimed their first Women’s Football Alliance Division III title with a 25-7 victory over the Oklahoma Rage on July 25 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Richmond finished the season undefeated at 9-0, powered by a dominant defense and standout special teams play. The team scored all four of its touchdowns in the championship game on defense and special teams, without an offensive score.

“Once I saw how we played together as a team, along with our chemistry on and off the field, I already knew we had a championship team,” said wide receiver Tatiana Johnson, who was named player of the game.

Johnson electrified early with an 82-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter. The defense held strong through a scoreless second quarter, and Richmond led 6-0 at halftime.

Johnson added a pick-six touchdown in the second half and finished with two interceptions. Linebacker Alix Barnette blocked a punt that was recovered for another score, and linebacker Marishia Berry added a late fourth-quarter touchdown to help seal the win. While Berry plays offense, details on the scoring play were not specified. Richmond’s defense limited Oklahoma to a single touchdown while the Widows finished the season having outscored opponents 249-37.

The win marked a major milestone for the team, which reached the Division III Championship in its inaugural 2016 season but lost 20-18 to the Acadiana Zydeco.

Richmond also made a semifinal appearance in 2018.

“We built that sisterhood and strengthened our bonds, we started to trust each other, trust the coaches, and trust the process,” said LaToya Parrish, linebacker for the Black Widows. “We had some challenges over the past two years trying to get to where we are, and we never gave up, we never quit.”

As Division III champions, Richmond will move up and play in Division II in the 2026 season.