Pair of players with local ties help St. Louis Slam win women’s football national championship

CANTON, Ohio — After more than a decade as consistently one of the best centers in the Women’s Football Alliance and multi-time All-American honoree, Caitlin Erickson finally earned the most coveted title in the game.

She can call herself a national champion.

The head coach of Culver-Stockton College women’s lacrosse team was one of two players with local ties — Quincy High School graduate Jada Humphrey is the other — who helped the St. Louis Slam capped an undefeated season Saturday by beating the Boston Renegades 30-27 in the WFA championship game at Tom Benson Stadium.

The Renegades were the five-time defending WFA champions, including beating the Slam 35-7 in last season’s title bout, but big plays from Humphrey and Erickson anchoring the offensive line enabled the Slam to win their fifth championship in team history.

However, this was the St. Louis team’s first title since moving to the pro division in 2002.

Humphrey, who played basketball at Quincy Notre Dame and QHS and graduated from QHS in 2017, had a 43-yard touchdown run in helping the Slam overcome a 14-point deficit in the first half Saturday. She earned league All-American honors in her second season with the Slam and finished the season with more than 1,110 all-purpose yards.

Erickson, an Antioch, Ill., native, played field hockey at Lindenwood as a goalkeeper and will be entering her sixth season as C-SC’s lacrosse team.