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The Arizona high school flag football season begins in the second week of September. Each school mostly plays twice a week and sometimes on consecutive days.
Here is a look at potentially the best games each week of the season. It will change week to week based on how the teams did the previous week. But this is a primer to get ready, as most teams are in the midst of preparing for the season. There will be in-season tournaments as well, but these are AIA games only.
Vote in our poll below for the game you think will be the best matchup in 2026. Print readers can find the poll online at azcentral.com/sports/high-schools.
What a way to start the season with two great matchups. Highland is the heavy favorite to win the 6A state championship, while Campo Verde is the favorite to repeat as 5A champions. This is a rematch from last season (a 21-0 Highland win), which was Campo Verde’s only loss in 2025. It’s also a test between the 6A and 5A conferences.
Down south will be another cross-conference matchup, with 6A Marana taking on 4A Eastmark, which made a run to the title game. It’s the first game for Marana without star two-way player Malaysia Roebuck. Eastmark has three of the best players in the state, with senior wide receivers Kinsley McCarty and Mikaela Oberstein and quarterback Paige McCrabb.
This will be one of the first glimpses at Red Mountain’s new roster, which has made consecutive 6A championship game appearances under coach Julian Madison. Basha has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
For Casteel, this is an early look at first-year coach Corey Enman after taking over from Rae Black, a foundational figure in the history of flag football in Arizona. Enman has put a lot of effort into putting his stamp on the program. Goodyear Millennium is trying to rebound after a 1-12 season, following a quarterfinals trip in 2024.
Up north will be a top-tier 4A game. Prescott is one of the premier programs there is, and Mingus Union has taken tremendous strides under coach Dave Moncibaez. Both schools almost made their conference title games, losing in the semifinals.
Down south, the Casa Grande-Buena game features two of the most electrifying players in the state, with Cougars senior wide receiver and defensive back Kayla Tacker and Colts junior wide receiver and defensive back Deztany Toyota-Villalobos. Tacker is the most complete player in Arizona, while there probably isn’t anybody faster than Toyota-Villalobos.
Chaparral is coming off a run to the 5A state championship and has one of the top quarterbacks in the state in junior Kaelie Weishaar. Arizona College Prep had its best season in school history, reaching the semifinals last year.
Over in California, the 5A state champions will hit the road to test itself against a powerhouse in a game that will likely carry national implications. It will also be California against Arizona in a battle between two states that have quickly become key players in the flag football landscape.
Another juicy cross-conference matchup, with 6A Red Mountain heading down to Tucson to take on the defending 4A state champions, Salpointe Catholic. Salpointe quarterback and linebacker Isla Collins was just named the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year.
In the Valley, Mesa Mountain View and Hamilton will meet. These two schools, the only ones to win a 6A state championship in AIA history, have played some great games over the years. Mountain View is on its third coach in four years and Hamilton has reconfigured its roster after graduation and transfers.
This will likely be the highly anticipated debut of junior transfer quarterback Marlie Phillips (6,079 yards, 104 touchdowns in 2025) for Liberty after moving from Hamilton. Phillips will probably have to sit out the first half of the season, making this the week she could become eligible — unless she gets an exemption from the AIA.
Laveen Heritage Academy has been incredibly competitive in 3A, barely falling 10-7 to Scottsdale Christian in the 2025 title game. The Soltero twins, Sieana and Savana, are a fun family dynamic to watch play out on the field, with Savana at quarterback and Sieana at wide receiver. St. John Paul II reached the quarterfinals last season.
O’Connor hosting Boulder Creek is a game that could be a top-10 late-season matchup with the playoffs on the line between two top signal-callers, in O’Connor senior Kylie Pruitt and Boulder Creek sophomore Sophia Coffman.
Staying in the Valley, Xavier-Marana will have two of the top overall players in the state. Marana sophomore quarterback Isabella Garcia had 61 touchdowns in 2025 and Xavier sophomore wide receiver Evie Maas has spent the summer with the United States Under-15 national team.
Depending on when Phillips becomes eligible and how the team does in her absence, this could be a must-win game for Liberty. Either way, it will be the last look at Liberty with Phillips before the playoffs start. Mountain Ridge has dynamic junior Amiaya Tice at quarterback, setting the stage for a duel between two top passers.
The regular season finale between SCA and Ben Franklin will be a pivotal 3A matchup. SCA, which went 16-0 last season, could be in the midst of another undefeated season and potentially riding a winning streak of 25-plus games. Ben Franklin, which lost to SCA in the semifinals, will be seeking revenge.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at [email protected] or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Vote. Top 2026 Arizona high school flag football games
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Here is a look at potentially the best games each week of the season. It will change week to week based on how the teams did the previous week. But this is a primer to get ready, as most teams are in the midst of preparing for the season. There will be in-season tournaments as well, but these are AIA games only.
Vote in our poll below for the game you think will be the best matchup in 2026. Print readers can find the poll online at azcentral.com/sports/high-schools.
Week 1: Campo Verde vs. Highland; Marana vs. Eastmark, Sept. 15
What a way to start the season with two great matchups. Highland is the heavy favorite to win the 6A state championship, while Campo Verde is the favorite to repeat as 5A champions. This is a rematch from last season (a 21-0 Highland win), which was Campo Verde’s only loss in 2025. It’s also a test between the 6A and 5A conferences.
Down south will be another cross-conference matchup, with 6A Marana taking on 4A Eastmark, which made a run to the title game. It’s the first game for Marana without star two-way player Malaysia Roebuck. Eastmark has three of the best players in the state, with senior wide receivers Kinsley McCarty and Mikaela Oberstein and quarterback Paige McCrabb.
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Week 2: Red Mountain vs. Basha, Sept. 22; Casteel vs. Millennium, Sept. 23
This will be one of the first glimpses at Red Mountain’s new roster, which has made consecutive 6A championship game appearances under coach Julian Madison. Basha has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
For Casteel, this is an early look at first-year coach Corey Enman after taking over from Rae Black, a foundational figure in the history of flag football in Arizona. Enman has put a lot of effort into putting his stamp on the program. Goodyear Millennium is trying to rebound after a 1-12 season, following a quarterfinals trip in 2024.
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Week 3: Mingus Union vs. Prescott, Sept. 28; Casa Grande vs. Buena, Oct. 1
Up north will be a top-tier 4A game. Prescott is one of the premier programs there is, and Mingus Union has taken tremendous strides under coach Dave Moncibaez. Both schools almost made their conference title games, losing in the semifinals.
Down south, the Casa Grande-Buena game features two of the most electrifying players in the state, with Cougars senior wide receiver and defensive back Kayla Tacker and Colts junior wide receiver and defensive back Deztany Toyota-Villalobos. Tacker is the most complete player in Arizona, while there probably isn’t anybody faster than Toyota-Villalobos.
Week 4: Arizona College Prep vs. Chaparral, Oct. 8; Campo Verde vs. JSerra Catholic (California), Oct. 9
Chaparral is coming off a run to the 5A state championship and has one of the top quarterbacks in the state in junior Kaelie Weishaar. Arizona College Prep had its best season in school history, reaching the semifinals last year.
Over in California, the 5A state champions will hit the road to test itself against a powerhouse in a game that will likely carry national implications. It will also be California against Arizona in a battle between two states that have quickly become key players in the flag football landscape.
You must be registered for see images
Week 5: Salpointe Catholic vs. Red Mountain, Oct. 13; Mesa Mountain View vs. Hamilton, Oct. 15
Another juicy cross-conference matchup, with 6A Red Mountain heading down to Tucson to take on the defending 4A state champions, Salpointe Catholic. Salpointe quarterback and linebacker Isla Collins was just named the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year.
In the Valley, Mesa Mountain View and Hamilton will meet. These two schools, the only ones to win a 6A state championship in AIA history, have played some great games over the years. Mountain View is on its third coach in four years and Hamilton has reconfigured its roster after graduation and transfers.
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Week 6: Liberty vs. Gilbert, Oct. 20; Laveen Heritage Academy vs. St. John Paul II, Oct. 22
This will likely be the highly anticipated debut of junior transfer quarterback Marlie Phillips (6,079 yards, 104 touchdowns in 2025) for Liberty after moving from Hamilton. Phillips will probably have to sit out the first half of the season, making this the week she could become eligible — unless she gets an exemption from the AIA.
Laveen Heritage Academy has been incredibly competitive in 3A, barely falling 10-7 to Scottsdale Christian in the 2025 title game. The Soltero twins, Sieana and Savana, are a fun family dynamic to watch play out on the field, with Savana at quarterback and Sieana at wide receiver. St. John Paul II reached the quarterfinals last season.
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Week 7: O’Connor vs. Boulder Creek; Xavier vs. Marana, Oct. 26
O’Connor hosting Boulder Creek is a game that could be a top-10 late-season matchup with the playoffs on the line between two top signal-callers, in O’Connor senior Kylie Pruitt and Boulder Creek sophomore Sophia Coffman.
Staying in the Valley, Xavier-Marana will have two of the top overall players in the state. Marana sophomore quarterback Isabella Garcia had 61 touchdowns in 2025 and Xavier sophomore wide receiver Evie Maas has spent the summer with the United States Under-15 national team.
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Week 8: Mountain Ridge vs. Liberty, Nov. 3; Scottsdale Christian vs. Ben Franklin, Nov. 5
Depending on when Phillips becomes eligible and how the team does in her absence, this could be a must-win game for Liberty. Either way, it will be the last look at Liberty with Phillips before the playoffs start. Mountain Ridge has dynamic junior Amiaya Tice at quarterback, setting the stage for a duel between two top passers.
The regular season finale between SCA and Ben Franklin will be a pivotal 3A matchup. SCA, which went 16-0 last season, could be in the midst of another undefeated season and potentially riding a winning streak of 25-plus games. Ben Franklin, which lost to SCA in the semifinals, will be seeking revenge.
You must be registered for see images
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at [email protected] or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Vote. Top 2026 Arizona high school flag football games
Continue reading...
