The Detroit Dark Angels were a women's semi-professional
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
team founded in 2010 by Chuck Lauber and Aaron Brothers. In 2014, the team was purchased and reorganized as a 501(c)3 corporation DDA Football Inc., by a group that included former
Detroit Demolition
The Detroit Demolition was a women's American football team based in the Detroit, Michigan area. During their most recent season, home games were played at Franklin High School in Livonia. They joined the National Women's Football Association ...
players Alecia Sweeney and Yarlen Henry along with Coach Keith Thomas.
Based in the
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
area, the Dark Angels played their home games at Southfield HS and The Hawk Community Center
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Part of the affluent suburbs northwest of Detroit, Farmington Hills is the second most-populated city in Oakland County, after Troy, with a population of 83,986 at the 20 ...
. The Dark Angels were members of the
Women's Football Alliance
The Women's Football Alliance (WFA) is a professional full-contact Women's American football tackle minor league that began play in 2009. It is the largest 11-on-11 football league for women in the world, and the longest running active women's ...
(WFA) and competed in Division 2 of the WFA's three-tier structure.
History
The Detroit Dark Angels were founded in 2010 by Chuck Lauber and Aaron Brothers following the discontinuation of the
Detroit Demolition
The Detroit Demolition was a women's American football team based in the Detroit, Michigan area. During their most recent season, home games were played at Franklin High School in Livonia. They joined the National Women's Football Association ...
. Players from the Demolition formed the core of the new team. Former Demolition players included linebackers Kim Walters and Misty Findley, tackles Lisa Miles and Mindy Corby, running back Aisha Moore, center Alecia Sweeney, wide receiver Kristine Vidojevski and lineman Catherine Moss. The team was led by Head Coach Tony Gaisser (3-5) in their first season.
In 2011, Darrin Wubbenhorst (22-20) was named Head Coach, a position he held through 2015.
In 2016, the team was purchased and reorganized as a 501(c)3 corporation DDA Football Inc., by a group that included former Detroit Demolition player Alecia Sweeney. Keith Thomas (25-19), a long-time member of the coaching staff, was named Head Coach.
Westland John Glenn High School was established as the Dark Angels's home venue in its inaugural season, until 2016. The team then changed home stadiums several times, moving to Wayne Memorial High School in 2017, Southfield Lathrup High School in 2018, and the HAWK Community Center in Farmington Hills in 2021.
Highlights
Highlights for the team include the 2012 season when they went undefeated 8–0 in the regular season. They were eliminated in the playoffs by the
Pittsburgh Passion
The Pittsburgh Passion is a women's American football team based in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The franchise was formed in March 2002 and is currently owned by Teresa Conn, Anthony Misitano, and the estate of Franco Harris. The team is a ...
.
The Dark Angels got revenge on Pittsburgh when they eliminated the Passion in the 2019 WFA Division 2 National Conference Championship Game. The victory propelled the team to their first national championship game, but they fell to the
St. Louis Slam
The St. Louis Slam is a women's professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They play in the Pro Division of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). Home games are played at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium on the campus of Lindenwood ...
.
In 2021, the team's final season, the Dark Angels again reached the WFA Division 2 National Championship Game but lost to the
Nevada Storm
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, t ...
.
Season-By-Season
, -
, 2010 , , 3 , , 5 , , 0 , , 3rd National North Central , , --
, -
, 2011 , , 6 , , 2 , , 0 , , 2nd National North Central , , --
, -
, 2012 , , 8 , , 1 , , 0 , , 1st National Mideast , , Lost National Conference Wild Card (
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
)
, -
, 2013 , , 2 , , 6 , , 0 , , 3rd National Great Lakes , , --
, -
, 2014 , , 4 , , 4 , , 0 , , 3rd National Great Lakes , , --
, -
, 2015 , , 2 , , 6 , , 0 , , 4th National Great Lakes , , --
, -
, 2016 , , 3 , , 5 , , 0 , , 4th National Great Lakes , , --
, -
, 2017 , , 4 , , 4 , , 0 , , 8th National Conference (Tier 2) , , --
, -
, 2018 , , 5 , , 3 , , 0 , , 5th National Conference (Tier 2) , , --
, -
, 2019 , , 6 , , 2 , , 0 , , 3rd National Conference (Tier 2) , , Won Regional Final (
Columbus Comets
The Columbus Comets are a women's professional American football team based in Columbus, Ohio. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Comets played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2003 until 2008 (i ...
)
Won National Conference Final (
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
)
Lost WFA Division 2 Championship (
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
)
, -
, 2021 , , 3 , , 3 , , 0 , , 1st National Conference (Tier 2) , , Won Regional Final (
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
)
Won National Conference Final (
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
)
Lost WFA Division 2 Championship (
Nevada Storm
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, t ...
)
, -
!Totals , , 50 , , 44 , , 0
, colspan=2,
2010
Season Schedules
2011
Standings
Season Schedules
2012
Standings
Season schedule
2013
Season Schedules
Roster
References
Detroit Dark Angels websiteWomen's Football Alliance website
{{Michigan Sports
Women's Football Alliance teams
American football teams in Detroit
American football teams established in 2010
2010 establishments in Michigan