The Arizona Republic's girls flag football Super 10 teams heading into historic AIA year
It's a historic season in Arizona, the first time the AIA is sanctioning girls' flag football, a movement that began more than a decade ago. While 11 states play it in the spring, Arizona is among nine playing this fall, co-existing with the traditional boys tackle football season. With the NFL's backing, and the Arizona Interscholastic Association wanting to showcase it with the boys' season, 56 schools are on board to make this a year to remember.
Teams are divided with the more club-experienced teams playing in 6A and the schools newer to the game in 5A with the AIA handing out championship trophies at the end of the 16-team playoffs that will run from Oct. 24 through Nov. 4.
It will take time to figure out who the top teams are once they start playing. But, based on feedback from coaches, and how teams did last spring in the last club high school level of play, The Arizona Republic is putting out its first Super 10, the best of the best from the two divisions, before the season gets rolling with games starting Aug. 29 with games being played on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Republic’s preseason girls' flag football Super 10
1. Mesa Eastmark
They're in 5A, but the Firebirds might be the best among the two divisions, after playing in the spring with the experienced Chandler schools and going 11-0 in the regular season, only to lose to Xavier in the first round, a team the Lions had beaten in the regular season. They return their entire offense, and picked up a transfer from American Leadership Gilbert North who is a top softball player who wants to try football. Coach Nick Garces, who will continue coaching the linebackers for Kyle Enders on Mesa Red Mountain's tackle football team, returns this terrific trio that is set to make a magical run to state: quarterback Mai Kalama (more than 2,000 yards, 65% completion rate, 27 TDs, 300 rushing yards in the spring), and wide receivers Taylor Ehmke (50 catches, 857 yards, 12 TDs) and Braelyn Schiermeyer (82 catches, 750 yards).
2. Chandler Hamilton
Coach Matt Stone already started building towards the future in the summer, holding a youth came for seventh and eighth graders with a solid turnout. Last spring, his team lost to Casteel in the state final. But he may have the team to beat in 6A. There are big spots to fill at center, safety and middle linebacker. But there is offensive firepower in quarterback Catarina Maccagnano (30 TDs, 3,121 yards passing in spring) and sophomore receiver Samaya Taylor-Jenkins (71 catches, 1,358 yards, 22 TDs receiving). And they have a talented kicker in Sydney Redish, who spent the summer working at Luis Zendejas' camp.
3. Queen Creek Casteel
They won the Chandler league last spring, beating Hamilton in the final. But after losing 12 seniors out of 25 on the team last spring, coach Rae Black is calling this a rebuilding year. There's still plenty of talent from which to work, including linebacker Ava Prater, and two-way standouts Khali Boller and Makenna Poropat to make the Colts a treat in 6A. Ada Nungesser and Addison Brown, they're pushing each other to make sure there's no significant dropoff from the spring.
4. Phoenix Xavier Prep
Michael Patterson is another coach combining working with boys' tackle at Brophy Prep and leading Xavier's girls' flag program into the fall. Patterson has high hopes after finding success in the spring with plenty of numbers. In the summer, Xavier ran a passing league with eight teams. Multisport athletes should help the Gators make a push to the 6A championship. His daughter, sophomore center Mikayla Patterson, is among those experienced players coming back from the spring, along with receivers Brie Boubek, Grace LeDoux and Andrea Rodriguez.
5. Mountain Pointe
The Pride has one of the more fearless talented freshmen in the state with quarterback Amaya Moreno, who is planning to do both boys' tackle football and flag football, playing QB for both the boys' freshman team and girls' varsity. Running back Noreal Sparks is a top two-way player who is tough to stop in the open field and is a talented defender. And tight end/linebacker Amiyah Dedrick is a weapon on both sides of the ball who possesses tremendous leadership abilities.
Raising the flag: Teams prepare for Arizona's first official season of girls high school football
6. Chandler
The Wolves came on strong towards the end of last spring, pulling out an overtime win over Xavier Prep. They have speed, a potent offense and a defense that is good at grabbing flags and bringing down ball carriers. They'll be a team to be reckoned with in the fall.
7. Chandler Arizona College Prep
A 5A team looking to make some noise after playing well last spring against the bigger Chandler schools. The Knights held their win against Hamilton and Casteel, losing by seven to both teams. They beat Desert Vista and Mountain Pointe. They'll have some top incoming freshmen helping, but success will run through QB/safety Alyssa Gruber and running back/defensive back Victoria Jagdon, who led the team in interceptions last spring.
8. Goodyear Millenium
A lot of coaches have the Tigers high on the ranking order, mainly because they reached the spring semifinals, before falling to Hamilton. With experience back and good coaching, they're a team to keep an eye on.
9. Mesa Mountain View
The Toros, playing in the first Mesa club season last spring, dominated mostly everybody, building momentum into this first AIA season. They return 12 players. They're athletic, fast and competitive. They don't like losing, and they're prepared to win state with coach Jesus Arzaga leading the way. The Christiansen sisters, Sadie and Tessa, should be a force on both sides of the ball.
10. Mesa Red Mountain
Coach Julian Madison says the key will be adjusting to the AIA blocking rules, after the Mesa schools had three blockers last season. But he likes the players he has to compete for a title. They're led by junior quarterback Sierra Mellish, one of the top sprinters on the girls' track team, who is also a lock-down defender in basketball. Junior linebacker/receiver Sophia Marquez is the team leader who is great at reading the quarterback and being a disruptive force on defense.
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The Arizona Republic's flag football Super 10 in historic AIA year
