Mason & BJ's 4A Preseason Flag Rankings
- Mason Byers
- Sep 13
- 14 min read
Last year was the first year of the 4A conference in AIA for flag football. It was the most balanced conference last season, and the same could be said for the 2025 season, too. Here are Mason & Brandon’s top 10-ranked teams before heading into the season.
Also note that first-year programs are not eligible to be ranked, as we have no data or film on them.
Prescott
Mason’s Rank: 1
BJ’s Rank: 1
Mason’s Ceiling: 12-0
BJ’s Ceiling: 12-0
Mason’s Floor: 10-2
BJ’s Floor: 10-2
‘24 Record: 15-1, lost in 4A title game
Off. Production Returning: 91.3%
Def. Production Returning: 66.5%
Mason: Debuting at number one on my preseason 4A rankings is none other than the Prescott Badgers.
The Badgers had their inaugural season in 2024, and it was one that almost went flawlessly. Prescott won 15 games in a row to start their season, and their only loss came in the 4A title game against St. Mary’s, in which they lost 10-7.
Now, while that loss may have stung for a bit for the Badgers, they should be hopeful in making a return to the promised land and even claiming the 4A title.
In 2024, Prescott only had two seniors on their entire roster, which means a lot of their production from their great season prior will be coming back to the team.
2026 athlete Margaret Maneely will be the star of the show for her team. Last season, she had an astonishing 22 interceptions and 15 pass breakups. She even played some quarterback last year for Prescott, throwing five touchdowns as well. Maneely might be the factor that takes Prescott over the hump this season.
Their schedule is a tough one, though, as they open up their season with the 4A defending champions, St. Mary’s, and other teams like Flagstaff and Coconino.
Even though they didn’t win the title last year, Prescott is my early favorite to win it this year. They have pretty much the same team coming back, and vengeance, as they were one possession away from a perfect season.
BJ: Prescott was just one solid offensive drive away from being 4A champions last season. This year with the majority of their roster back, I think the Badgers will leave no doubt.
‘26 ATH Maggie Maneely is due for a big senior season and Prescott’s stacked 2026 class is on a mission this season. If you don’t believe me, just go back and watch my conversation with them at West Valley Media Day last month.
The toughest test for Prescott will come right off the bat against St. Mary’s down in the valley on Monday. The Badgers are hoping that begins their revenge tour en route to a 4A title.
St. Mary’s
Mason’s Rank: 2
BJ’s Rank: 4
Mason’s Ceiling: 11-1
BJ’s Ceiling: 11-1
Mason’s Floor: 10-2
BJ’s Floor: 7-5
‘24 Record: 14-0, won 4A title.
Off. Production Returning: Not enough data
Def. Production Returning: 26.7%
Mason: The defending 4A champions will have some questions this upcoming season.
In their inaugural season, the St. Mary’s Knights went a perfect 14-0 and became champions. Although last season they had many seniors who helped contribute to their team, they will look to find that production elsewhere.
They are going to have some questions on who and where is going to fill those positions, but one thing is for sure: they surprised a lot of people last year.
St. Mary’s seemed to be a sleeping giant last year as they seemingly came out of nowhere and beat every team in front of them. This season, teams know who they are, and it will be interesting to see how the Knights respond.
One question has already been answered for them, and that is who their star player is. 2026 rusher Arianna Manning had a ridiculous 2024 campaign. She was second on the team in flag pulls with 44 and had a remarkable sack number of 37. Manning is one of, if not the best, rushers in the state of Arizona, and she alone can wreck a game. St. Mary’s defense should be great again this year with Manning and her teammates behind her.
To begin the year, St. Mary’s will go through a gauntlet; their first three games are as follows: Prescott, Crismon, and Eastmark. They have some tough opponents later on in their schedule, too, but once they get past those three teams, their schedule will be more friendly.
Even though they had a lot of seniors last season, I still think St. Mary’s will be a strong contender in the 4A conference. They have superb coaching and talent to go back-to-back in 2025.
BJ: St. Mary’s graduates a lot from last year’s state title team. And the Knights have a pretty brutal schedule that is going to test this large group of new starters right away.
They’ll open up against #1 Prescott, Crismon, Eastmark, then 6A Xavier Prep and also have late season dates with Deer Valley and Westview. I could see this team winning anywhere from 7 to 11 games.
Coconino
Mason’s Rank: 3
BJ’s Rank: 6
Mason’s Ceiling: 11-1
BJ’s Ceiling: 11-1
Mason’s Floor: 9-3
BJ’s Floor: 8-4
‘24 Record: 12-4, lost in Semifinals.
Off. Production Returning: 51.7%
Def. Production Returning: 30.8%
Mason: Coming in at number three in my 4A preseason rankings is the Coconino Panthers. The Panthers had a strong 2024 season, advancing to the semifinals, where they ultimately lost to Prescott.
The statistics show that this team may be very different in 2025, but the eye test says otherwise. In 2024, they had a lot of production from seniors; however, Coconino has cornerstone players that will be returning to the team this Fall.
2027 quarterback Blanca Ventura Gomez is entering her junior year this season for the Panthers after a great 2024 year. She had 3794 passing yards and 51 passing touchdowns, which were some of the best stats in the state. Not only was she lethal in the passing game, but she also showed how she can get it done on the ground, too, as she had 704 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns. While she may not have her top wide receivers coming back this season with her, Ventura Gomez should have no problem replicating her 2024 season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Coconino has 2028 defensive back Sofie Palmer leading the charge. She led the Panthers' great secondary last year with seven interceptions and will have a chance to have an even better season going into her sophomore year.
The Panthers will face teams like Mesquite, Prescott, and Flagstaff this season, but they showed last year that they can win tough games and beat the teams they are supposed to.
While Coconino might not have a lot of the same faces from last season, they will still have the same identity and should be in contention for the 4A title.
BJ: Coconino doesn’t have a fantastic returning production rate, but they do return one of the best QBs in the state in ‘27 Blanca Ventura Gomez as well as ‘28 DB Sofie Palmer defensively. The Panthers will lean heavily on those two in order to repeat their success from last season.
The toughest games on the Coconino schedule will come against #1 Prescott, Mesquite, Flagstaff, Arcadia, and Lee Williams.
Eastmark
Mason’s Rank: 4
BJ’s Rank: 2
Mason’s Ceiling: 11-1
BJ’s Ceiling: 11-1
Mason’s Floor: 9-3
BJ’s Floor: 8-4
‘24 Record: 9-7-1, lost in Quarterfinals.
Off. Production Returning: 98.7%
Def. Production Returning: 72.6%
Mason: Eastmark is coming off a somewhat disappointing 2024 season. In 2023, they were one of the best teams in the state, but in 2024, they dealt with a lot of injuries and tough losses.
The Eastmark Firebirds this season, however, should be in line for a big 2025. They are only losing four seniors from last year and are returning a great amount of production, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
They get their star player, 2027 athlete Kinsley McCarty, back this season. McCarty is one of the most versatile players in the entire state, pretty much being able to do anything on the field. She led the Firebirds in receiving yards with 1095 and 14 receiving touchdowns, even after missing time due to a knee injury.
Eastmark is also getting back its 2026 athlete, Kaylee Markle. Markle led the Firebirds in sacks last season with 17 and had 35 flag pulls to go with it. She is also one of the better kickers in Arizona.
In terms of their schedule, it will be no easy feat. They open up their season with Marana and also play teams like Crismon and St. Mary’s. While their schedule may not be easy, they have a lot of the same players on the team, even dating back to their 2023 squad.
Eastmark should have a bounce-back year this season. If everyone can stay healthy and they can get through some of their tougher games, the Firebirds could be in a position to make a deep playoff push like they did in 2023.
BJ: Eastmark has a ton of returning talent as they hope to bounce back from last year’s disappointing season. The Firebirds have gone up against top 5A and 6A competition all summer and open up against 6A power Marana. If that doesn’t prepare them for a deep 4A playoff run, I don’t know what will.
Other tough games for the Firebirds include #2 St. Mary’s, 3A #3 Ben Franklin, Crismon, and Deer Valley.
Mesquite
Mason’s Rank: 5
BJ’s Rank: 5
Mason’s Ceiling:11-1
BJ’s Ceiling: 12-0
Mason’s Floor: 9-3
BJ’s Floor: 11-1
‘24 Record: 12-4, lost in Quarterfinals.
Off. Production Returning: 46.3%
Def. Production Returning: 87.5%
Mason: The Mesquite Wildcats cracked my top 5 in my 4A preseason rankings for the upcoming year. Mesquite is now entering its third season in AIA flag football and is coming off back-to-back impressive seasons.
The Wildcats will be in line for another solid season as they are returning most of their defensive production and have a favorable schedule. On the offensive side, they will look to find a replacement for quarterback Jordyn Flores, who was remarkable in her two seasons with the Wildcats.
On defense, 2026 defensive back and wide receiver Mariah Willis was a huge factor in why Mesquite won 12 games last season. She had 20 interceptions, proving she is one of the best ball-hawking defensive backs in Arizona. Willis also made plays on offense, having 617 receiving yards and catching eight touchdowns.
Even though they will be missing their star quarterback Jordyn Flores, their defense and favorable schedule will benefit them this season. Their toughest opponent will be Coconino, a rematch of a 2024 quarterfinals matchup that the Wildcats lost 13-7.
Mesquite may not be my favorite to win the 4A title, but I do think it is one of the most open conferences this season in flag football. I think Mesquite could very well be playing for the title game when it comes to November. They will just have to keep the momentum going from the regular season into the playoffs when they face tough teams.
BJ: Star QB Jordyn Flores and ‘27 LB Charlize Brown, who transferred to 6A Gilbert, will be missed dearly. But Mesquite will still be one of the top teams in 4A, led by ‘26 WR/DB Mariah Willis.
Willis was at the top of state leaderboards with 20 interceptions last season and has been impressive on the club flag football scene the last two years.
The Wildcats have a very favorable schedule with #6 Coconino and Arcadia being their only opponents that made the playoffs last season. At worst, it should be a 10-win season for Mesquite.
Crismon
Mason’s Rank: 6
BJ’s Rank: 3
Mason’s Ceiling: 10-2
BJ’s Ceiling: 12-0
Mason’s Floor: 8-4
BJ’s Floor: 10-2
‘24 Record: 10-3, lost in round one.
Off. Production Returning: 91.7%
Def. Production Returning:73.8%
Mason: Crismon has one of the best production rates in the 4A conference. Last year, the Crismon Rattlers only had four seniors on their roster, which makes their 2025 season shape up to be a solid one.
The Rattlers had a solid 2024 season but ended up losing in the first round to Eastmark. They had double-digit wins on the season, which a lot of other schools can not say. This year, they should be around the 8-10 win mark.
On offense, they have 2026 quarterback Carlee Morse, who was a staple for them in 2024. Last season, she had 1909 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns, along with 860 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Now entering her senior season, Morse’s dual-threat ability can get even better to help push Crismon over the top.
On the defensive side of the ball, they return their top defensive back in 2026, Brayah Andree, who led Crismon with eight interceptions last season. The senior will look to lead a top defense again this year.
With two seniors and others leading the way, Crismon should have a similar season to the last one. Their hardest games this year will be the defending 4A champs in St. Mary’s and Eastmark.
Crismon relies on their defensive identity, and that should serve to help them contain some of the high-powered offenses they will see in the regular season and postseason. They are one of my dark horse teams this year, as I believe they have gone under the radar somewhat.
BJ: Everything Mason just talked about above is exactly why I think Crismon should be a top 3 team in 4A this season.
The Rattlers were the most improved team in conference last season and they bring back 92% of their offense and 74% of their defense, which is a better returning production rate than everyone in the top 10 not named Eastmark.
Crismon’s toughest games will come against #2 Eastmark and #4 St. Mary’s, who are the only ‘24 playoff teams on their schedule. I expect them to win 11, maybe even 12 games.
Flagstaff
Mason’s Rank: 7
BJ’s Rank: 10
Mason’s Ceiling: 10-2
BJ’s Ceiling: 11-1
Mason’s Floor: 7-5
BJ’s Floor: 7-5
‘24 Record:10-8, lost in first round.
Off. Production Returning: 70%
Def. Production Returning: 78.8%
Mason: While the Flagstaff Eagles statistics and box score numbers might not jump off the page at you, they are one of the toughest teams to go against in Arizona.
In 2024, Flagstaff did a good job of taking care of business against teams they were better than, but struggled against some of the tougher opponents in 4A and conferences higher than them.
When looking at the team from last year to this year, you see that there are nine seniors they are losing. However, a lot of the production they got came from the other players on the roster.
They also have a very deep team. They utilize all their players on their roster, and it shows. They rotate frequently between players because all of them can play.
One of the main players returning is 2026 defensive back Mayla Speer. Speer was tied with the most interceptions on the team with three and also had 15 flag pulls. Speer will look to take on a larger role in her senior year for a solid Eagles defense.
Some of their games that will be key matchups include Prescott, Mingus Union, and, of course, Coconino. The rest of their schedule is favorable, especially when you consider the difficulty of their schedule in 2024.
I think Flagstaff has a very strong chance at hosting a playoff game in the first round this season, as since 2023, they have been one of the more consistent programs in Arizona.
BJ: I think Flagstaff is going to be much better than last season, but I’m not as high on them as Mason is. Their success in 2023, where they were a 4-seed in the 5A playoffs, definitely was boosted by Coconino not having a team that season.
Coconino made a big splash as a year one program last season, and there is only so much talent to go around in the city of Flagstaff with a population of roughly 75K (25% of that being NAU students).
Flagstaff’s toughest games will come against #1 Prescott, #6 Coconino, 3A #6 Page, Westview, and Lee Williams. The Eagles should win a minimum of 8 games, which would already be better than last season, and I can see them winning up to 11.
Deer Valley
Mason’s Rank: 8
BJ’s Rank: NR
Mason’s Ceiling: 10-2
Mason’s Floor: 8-4
‘24 Record:8-5, lost in round one.
Off. Production Returning: 30.88%
Def. Production Returning: 33.8%
Mason: Deer Valley comes in at number 8 on the list after an out-of-nowhere season where they made the playoffs when not many people talked about them.
While I might have Flagstaff higher ranked than Flagstaff, I do believe Deer Valley will have a higher floor. I think Flagstaff has proved more so far and has more of their production returning, but Deer Valley does have a slightly more favorable schedule.
Deer Valley had a lot of production last season from its seniors and will rely on players who didn’t see the field a lot to make that production up.
A player to look out for this season is 2026 athlete Deja Ayers. Ayers led the team in both receiving yards with 643 and receiving touchdowns with 10. Deer Valley will have a new quarterback this season, but at least they have their wide receiver one in place.
Even though they have a favorable schedule this season, they still have to play teams such as Eastmark and St. Mary’s in the second half of their schedule.
I expect Deer Valley to improve on last season, even with some new faces taking the field. I think if they can win 8-9 games and host a playoff game, they would consider their season a success.
Mingus Union
Mason’s Rank: 9
BJ’s Rank: 7
Mason’s Ceiling: 9-3
BJ’s Ceiling: 10-2
Mason’s Floor: 7-5
BJ’s Floor: 7-5
‘24 Record:10-7, lost in round one.
Off. Production Returning: 52%
Def. Production Returning: 81.9%
Mason: Mingus Union is also coming off a double-digit win season in 2024, and they are my number 9-ranked team heading into the 2025 season.
The Mingus Union Marauders are returning a good chunk of their defensive production this season, with 81.9% however, they are going to need the production on offense to come from new players.
While they will have new faces on offense and on defense, players like 2028 linebacker Kambra Hahn will be returning to the lineup. She led the Marauders with 12 sacks and led the team in flag pulls as well with 54.
Mingus Union will have its hands full this season as it faces multiple top teams in 4A during the regular season. Those include Prescott, Coconino, Flagstaff, and Lee Williams.
If Mingus Union can pull off two of those four games, they could be in good shape to be a top-eight seed and host a playoff game. I think they will fall just short, though, and be around a nine seed, which will still be a success for them.
BJ: Mingus Union had a great debut season in 2024, going 10-7 and making the playoffs. The team that ended their season, Ben Franklin, is now in 3A along with a number of teams that were ranked above the Marauders.
Mingus Union had a very active summer, hosting one of the bigger flag tournaments up in their Cottonwood altitude as well as coming all the way down to Tucson for the UofA flag tournament, where they competed with some of the top programs in the state, mostly in 5A and 6A.
The toughest games for the Marauders will come against #1 Prescott, #6 Coconino, #10 Flagstaff, 3A #6 Page, and Westview. Looking for a minimum of 7 wins from Mingus Union this season.
Lee Williams
Mason’s Rank: 10
BJ’s Rank: NR
Mason’s Ceiling: 9-3
Mason’s Floor: 7-5
‘24 Record: 7-4, lost in round one.
Mason: Rounding out my top 10 rankings is Lee Williams. Lee Williams finished above .500 last season and snuck into the playoffs as a 15th seed.
Even though they were a 15th seed, they should not be taken lightly. They lost to Prescott in the first round and only lost by two possessions, and made the game competitive.
They also beat Mingus Union in the regular season 16-7 last season.
Lee Williams has a pretty tough schedule this year, facing teams like Coconino, Prescott, Mingus Union, and Flagstaff.
I think it is safe to say, even though they face many good teams this year, they should safely be placed in the playoffs this season and could perhaps make some noise if everything goes right for them.
Arcadia
Mason’s Rank: NR
BJ’s Rank: 8
BJ’s Ceiling: 11-1
BJ’s Floor: 8-4
‘24 Record: 6-7, lost in Round of 16
Off. Returning Production: 41.6%
Def. Returning Production: 79.4%
BJ: Offensively, ‘26 ATH Tristan Hillson and ‘28 ATH Meadow Nelson will be taking over the Titan offense this season after combining for 1,452 yards and 13 TDs while primarily playing WR last season. Both have experience playing QB, so it will be interesting to see which one will be QB1 and which one will be WR1.
Defensively, Hillson and ‘28 DB/ATH Brooklyn Howerzyl will be key pieces after combining for 16 INTs, 17 PBUs, and 104 flag pulls in 2024. And they’ll have plenty of help on that end as Payton Connelly is the only graduating starter on that side of the ball.
The toughest games for Arcadia will be against 3A #1 Scottsdale Christian, #5 Mesquite, #6 Coconino, and Deer Valley. If the Titans win at least one of these 4 games, they should be in prime position for a home playoff game.
Westview
Mason’s Rank: NR
BJ’s Rank: 9
BJ’s Ceiling: 11-1
BJ’s Floor: 9-3
‘24 record: 6-5, lost in Round of 16
Off. Returning Production: 65.7%
Def. Returning Production: 65.1%
BJ: The Knights have a very healthy returning production rate on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, ‘26 QB Kapuanani Morales will look to improve from last season where threw for 1,171 yards, 12 TDs (3 rush), and 11 INTs.
Defensively, the Knights return a plethora of starters that made comparable contributions last season.
Comments