Mason's 3A Flag Football Rankings

Heading into the 2026 season, the 3A conference for AIA flag football is shaping up to be an interesting one.

Given how last year went in 3A, it is safe to say this fall could be just as exciting.

With powerhouse teams at the top, competitive teams throughout, and perhaps some teams that surprise people this year, here are our 3A preseason flag football rankings.

Please keep in mind that first-year programs are not eligible for our preseason rankings because we do not have any data on them.

Scottsdale Christian

Rank: 1

Ceiling: 12-0

Floor: 11-1

2025 Season: 16-0; won the 3A championship

Returning Offensive Yard %: 91.4

Returning TD %: 88.5

Returning Flag Pull %: 61.7

Returning Sack %: 70.3

Returning INT/PBU %: 68.6

Coming in at number one on the 3A Flag Football preseason rankings list is none other than Scottsdale Christian Academy.

SCA is a proven program staple, and I do not see that changing in 2026.

Last year they went 16-0 and were crowned the 3A champions. Time and time again last year, when SCA needed a big play or to go and win the game, they delivered.

This is a roster that is battle-tested and has the pieces and makeup to go back-to-back.

For the 2026 season, they bring back a loaded roster that includes some of the best players in the state.

When mentioning players in the state of Arizona, Scottsdale Christian 2028 quarterback Campbell Reader is on that list.

As only a sophomore last season, she threw for 2,987 yards, rushed for 619, and had 65 total touchdowns. Entering her junior season, it is safe to say she can be even more improved for this Fall.

The team also returns key weapons such as 2027 wide receiver Nola Bynum. In 2025, Bynum led the team in receiving yards with 1,165 as well as receiving touchdowns with 17. She is also a proven defender, too, after she hauled in 11 interceptions on defense.

The list goes on and on for the Eagles; they have players such as 2028 athlete Jolee Baddeley, 2028 rusher Reagan Gibbons, and 2027 linebacker Amirah Hillier, to name a few.

While they had some impact seniors in 2025, they are running back an almost identical group.

Overall, the Eagles are the team to beat in 3A, and for every other team in the conference, that will be one tall task.

Some tough games for Scottsdale Christian this season include Horizon, Gilbert Christian, and Benjamin Franklin.

Heritage Academy Laveen

Rank: 2

Ceiling: 12-0

Floor: 12-0

2025 Season: 15-1, lost to SCA in 3A title game

Returning Offensive Yard %: 96.7

Returning TD %: 98.7

Returning Flag Pull %: 95.8

Returning Sack %: 100

Returning INT/PBU %: 97.9

The other top dog in the 3A conference has to be Heritage Academy Laveen.

This is a team that returns almost all of their production, and they were just a few plays away from taking down SCA and hoisting the gold ball themselves.

The Heroes went on a 15-game winning streak, and their only loss of the season came in the title game versus SCA.

A big piece that will help them reach the title game again is 2027 quarterback Savana Soltero.

Entering her senior season, Soltero is coming off an impressive 2025 campaign.

Last year,r she threw for 1788 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 249 yards with four touchdowns on the ground.

Savana Soltero also gets her number one target back this season, who also just so happens to be her sister.

Heritage Academy Laveen 2027 athlete Sieana Soltero was a mainstay for the Heroes.

She hauled in 837 yards with 20 touchdowns and also snagged 10 interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.

Other key returners include 2027 wide receiver Christina Martinez and 2027 athlete Gloriann Blanco.

Heritage Academy Laveen is a team that has been consistently a great program. The record for the two years the Heroes have been a program is an astounding 26-3.

With how much is returning for the Heroes, it is safe to say they are not only contenders for the 3A title, but could very much be the champions when November rolls around.

The toughest games for Heritage Academy Laveen are when they take on Gilbert Christian, St. John Paul II, and Arete Prep. Realistically, though, the Heroes will most likely be 12-0 entering the playoffs.

Ben Franklin

Rank: 3

Ceiling: 12-3

Floor: 9-6

2025 Season: 10-7, lost in semifinals to SCA

Returning Offensive Yard %: 57.8

Returning TD %: 59.5

Returning Flag Pull %: 72.4

Returning Sack %: 96.6

Returning INT/PBU %: 75

While Ben Franklin has a tough schedule this season, it makes me want to put them this high.

When it comes to who will be battle-tested the most heading into the playoffs, the Chargers have a great case for being the most tested.

They are fresh off a semifinal appearance in 2025 when they eventually lost to the eventual 3A champions in SCA.

Since they have been a program, Ben Franklin has always been solid.

The Chargers will be without some impact players, but they have some intriguing pieces that can help them reach a top-three spot in 3A.

One of those is 2027 quarterback Adlee Trujillo. Trujillo is one of the more electric players at the 3A level, and I expect a big year from her.

Last season she threw for 1113 yards and 17 touchdowns. Trujillo was splitting time most of the year in 2025, but looks to be the lead signal caller for the Chargers in 2026.

Returning also is 2029 athlete Kennlie Hill.

Hill took the state by storm as only a Freshman last year, and I also think she is another player on this roster who can take that next step.

In her first year at the high school level, Hill hauled in 644 yards and 5 touchdowns while also snagging 5 interceptions on defense.

Ben Franklin also has the likes of players such as 2027 athlete Amari Zincke, who led the team in receiving yards with 76,9 and 2028 rusher Avery Stetka, who had 16 sacks.

This is a team with tons of talent, and I am very high on them and think they are capable of doing great things for the upcoming season.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, they do have a tough schedule,

Some of their hardest games will be Eastmark, SCA, and Valley Christian.

If they can go over .500 in their tough matchups, I can for sure see this team being a top team in 3A.

Valley Christian

Rank: 4

Ceiling: 11-1

Floor: 9-3

2025 Season: 12-3, lost in the semifinals to Heritage Academy Laveen

Returning Offensive Yard %: 70.8

Returning TD %: 78.1

Returning Flag Pull %: 42.3

Returning Sack %: 35

Returning INT/PBU %: 28.6

Coming in at number four on my list is Valley Christian.

Out of all the teams ranked up to this point, the Trojans are the ones with the least production returning and have more questions about them.

With that being said, though, this is a program that reached new levels last year.

One of the biggest producers that returns for the Trojans is 2028 quarterback Abigail Trillo.

Trillo dominated last year as she threw for 3149 yards and had a remarkable touchdown-to-interception ratio of 46:8.

Now with another year of experience under her belt, Trillo will be looked at to continue or even improve her high level of play.

Valley Christian 2028 rusher Kenzie Hackett also comes back, and she was the second-leading rusher on her team.

In 2025, Hackett compiled 24 sacks and made opposing offenses dread every game.

The Trojans will look to build off an impressive year in 2025 and once again make a deep run in the playoffs.

The toughest games for Valley Christian include Seton Catholic, Gilbert Christian, and Ben Franklin. The Schedule isn't too tough for the Trojans, and they have a solid chance of having a double-digit win regular season again.

Gilbert Christian

Rank: 5

Ceiling: 10-2

Floor: 8-4

2025 Season: 11-3, lost to Ben Franklin in the quarterfinals

Returning Offensive Yard %: 72.6

Returning TD %: 75.8

Returning Flag Pull %: 65.9

Returning Sack %: 88.9

Returning INT/PBU %: 48.3

Rounding out my top 5 3A rankings list is Gilbert Christian.

The Knights are one of the more interesting teams at the 3A level, as while they return a lot of talent, they are entering a new era.

Head coach Corey Enman has moved on and to take over as the head coach at Casteel.

Even with the coaching change, I do believe that Gilbert Christian can still be a top team in the conference.

A player returning for them is 2028 athlete Mackenzie Henderson.

Last season, Henderson was a key piece on both sides of the ball for the Knights.

On offense, she hauled in 316 yards for 2 touchdowns, and on defense she was one of the leading defensive backs with 5 interceptions.

Another key defender returning is 2027 rusher Riley Bublitz.

Bublitz finished 2025 leading Gilbert Christian in sacks with 13 and hurries with 22.

The Knights are still loaded with some elite talent, and even with the coaching change, they should still have what it takes to be a competitive team in 3A.

While there may be a different feel to this Knights team, they have built themselves up to be a program that can always be in contention to have a great regular season and make a deep run in the playoffs.

The toughest games Gilbert Christian will have this year are when they take on Heritage Academy Laveen, Ben Franklin, and SCA.

St. John Paul II

Rank: 6

Ceiling: 11-1

Floor: 8-4

2025 Season: 12-3, lost in quarterfinals to Valley Christian

Returning Offensive Yard %: 58.6

Returning TD %: 51.1

Returning Flag Pull %: 26.1

Returning Sack %: 2.3

Returning INT/PBU %: 42.9

A team that has been around since the first year it was an AIA-sanctioned sport with only 5A and 6A conferences and has improved every year since then is St. John Paul II.

The Lions are entering year four of their program, which is more than most of the other teams that are in 3A.

In 2025, they compiled their best season to date when they won 12 games, one of which was a playoff game.

Heading into 2026, they are losing a lot of production from last year's senior group, but there are a few players to keep an eye out for as I expect them to take another step.

One of those is 2028 quarterback Michelle Segoviano.

In just her sophomore year, Segoviano lit it up for the Lions and was a huge factor in why they had their best season in program history.

She threw for 1641 yards, rushed for 706, and had a total of 22 touchdowns.

While a lot of Segoviano's top targets were seniors last year, I expect an underclassman to carry that workload in 2026.

2029 athlete Brianna Whitney is due for a breakout year, in my opinion, and she has that opportunity to do so.

Last year she mostly played defense as she snagged 7 interceptions, but given the circumstances, the team might need her to play more wide receiver this season.

The coaching alone at St. John Paul II gives me confidence they are going to do well again this Fall, and pair that with some talent, they will once again be a top team in 3A.

St. John Paul II has a few tough games this season; those include when they take on Seton Catholic, Heritage Academy Laveen, and Arete Prep. Other than that, though, in a lot of their games they will be favored to take home the win.

Seton Catholic

Rank: 7

Ceiling: 9-3

Floor: 7-5

2025 Season: 6-7, lost in first round to St. John Paul II.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 80.7

Returning TD %: 88.1

Returning Flag Pull %: 60.4

Returning Sack %: 100

Returning INT/PBU %: 74.7

A team that I expect to take one of the biggest jumps this season is Seton Catholic.

The Sentinels are a team that is poised to improve in the win column and take advantage of the fact that a majority of the roster is coming back.

Not only have they improved every season so far, but they also return some of the most production in the 3A conference.

One of the players with the most production returning is 2028 athlete Giovanna Di Scala, who was one of the top two-way players in Arizona last season.

She hauled in 1035 yards, rushed for 350, and had 14 total touchdowns on the offensive side. Scala was also an elite ball hawk, as she was able to track down 8 interceptions.

2029 defensive back Berkley Bandura is also one of the players for Seton Catholic, and she made an impact as just a Freshman in 2025.

Bandura was second on the team in interceptions with 5 and also had an impressive 12 pass deflections.

The Sentinels are a team to keep an eye on as they had a lot of underclassmen start for them last season, and a majority, if not all of them, should take a jump.

Seton Catholic does have one of the toughest schedules in 3A this year, as some of their toughest games include the following: SCA, Ben Franklin, Valley Christian, and St. John Paul II. If they can break .500 on those games or even win one of them, the Sentinels can easily be a 9-win team in 2026.

Arete Prep

Rank: 8

Ceiling: 9-3

Floor: 6-6

2025 Season: 8-5, lost in first round to Monument Valley.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 71.9

Returning TD %: 76.2

Returning Flag Pull %: 58.6

Returning Sack %: 25

Returning INT/PBU %: 56.7

Coming in at the number 8 spot in my 3A flag football rankings is the Arete Prep Chargers.

The Chargers are coming off an eight-win season, which was a four-win increase from the previous season. They also made the playoffs, and while they lost in the first round, it was a hard-fought battle versus Monument Valley.

In terms of who they are bringing back, a majority of the offensive production will return and help Arete Prep become a playoff team again.

Their signal caller is 2027 athlete Leilani Aragon, and she is back for her senior campaign.

She threw for 1685 yards, rushed for 425, and had 20 total touchdowns for the Chargers last year and was the engine of the offense.

Not only was Aragon leading the charge on offense, but she was also one of the best defenders on the team.

During 2026, she was able to haul in 8 interceptions and have 6 pass deflections.

Arete Prep welcomes back two other elite defensive backs as well.

2027 defensive back Izzy Restivo and 2027 defensive back Maggie Botros round out a deep secondary as both players combined for 11 interceptions last year for the Chargers.

Overall, Arete Prep is a rising team, and they return a lot of key players who helped lead them to get where they got to in 2025.

While they do have a solid roster, their schedule is a bit brutal.

They play teams such as Valley Christian, St. John Paul II, Seton Catholic, Heritage Academy Laveen, and SCA.

While on paper they have a long road to the playoffs, I think they will win the games they are supposed to and maybe even get a couple of upset victories as well. Keep an eye out for Arete Prep possibly hosting a playoff game in November.

Monument Valley

Rank: 9

Ceiling: 9-3

Floor: 7-5

2025 Season: 8-5, lost in the quarterfinals to SCA.

Returning Offensive Yard %: N/A

Returning TD %: N/A

Returning Flag Pull %: N/A

Returning Sack %: N/A

Returning INT/PBU %: N/A

Coming in at the number 9 spot is Monument Valley.

They have no stats listed on MaxPreps, but according to the roster they posted last season, they only lost 4 seniors due to graduation.

In terms of roster size and who was starting for them last season, the Mustangs return a good chunk of players.

I also have them ranked this high due to their track record.

In their two season as a program, they have a combined record of 15-9 and made their way into the quarterfinals after defeating Arete Prep in the first round last year.

Given their schedule as well,l I could very well see Monument Valley not just making the playoffs but fighting for a top 8 seed and hosting a playoff game.

The toughest games for the Mustangs this season are when they face Prescott, Coconino, and Seton Catholic.

Page

Rank: 10

Ceiling: 9-3

Floor: 6-6

2025 Season: 9-5, lost to Heritage Academy Laveen in the quarterfinals.

Returning Offensive Yard %: N/A Insufficient Stats

Returning TD %: N/A Insufficient Stats

Returning Flag Pull %: N/A Insufficient Stats

Returning Sack %: N/A Insufficient Stats

Returning INT/PBU %: N/A Insufficient Stats

Rounding out the top 10 of the list is Page.

The Page Sand Devils in their first two years of a program had back-to-back nine-win seasons and two playoff appearances.

They have been one of the more consistent teams, and every week you know what the Sand Devils will bring.

One of the main problems I see for Page this season, though, is that they will rely on a lot of new faces to make an impact quickly.

Heading into 2026, the roster will look a lot different, as the Sand Devils graduated 8 seniors last season on a roster of 12 players.

While that number may be concerning to some, I have faith that Page will still be in contention to have a 7-9 win season and make their way into the postseason.

Some players to look out for are 2029 rusher Kasiya Akee and 2028 wide receiver Abigail Goldtooth to have big seasons and take on a bigger role for Page.

The toughest opponents Page will face this season include Flagstaff, Monument Valley, and Mingus.

Horizon Honors

Rank: 11

Ceiling: 8-4

Floor: 6-6

2025 Season: 8-6, lost in round one to Ben Franklin.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 62.1

Returning TD %: 58.3

Returning Flag Pull %: 72.5

Returning Sack %: 76.5

Returning INT/PBU %: 66

A team that had a solid start in their program's history was the Horizon Honors Eagles.

As a first-year program, the Eagles garnered an 8-6 record and even made it into the playoffs.

Heading into year two of the program, Horizon Honors returns a good chunk of their production from last season and hopes to continue to build off of it.

One of the key takeaways from the Eagles is that they have one of the best defenses in 3A and have a ton of talent on that side of the ball.

2027 rusher Brooklyn Dorough leads the way for the Eagles on defense, as last season she got to the quarterback quite a bit. Dorough finished the 2025 season with 15 sacks and 21 hurries.

Dorough is not the only key player they have on defense, as they have a pair of talented defensive backs.

2029 defensive back Brookelyn Schertz and 2028 defensive back Tatum Spindler return to the secondary for the Eagles and are both coming off seasons in which they each got 5 interceptions.

On the offensive side of the ball, Horizon Honors will have to look at some new faces making contributions. However, given how their first year as a program went, I do not see this becoming an issue for the Eagles.

Horizon Honors does have a tough schedule, though, as their toughest games include Heritage Academy Laveen, SCA, Gilbert Christian, and Valley Christian. Even with the tough stretch of games, I fully expect to see the Eagles back in the playoffs.

Arizona Lutheran

Rank: 12

Ceiling: 8-4

Floor: 5-7

2025 Season: 8-5, lost in round one to Page.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 15.5

Returning TD %: 31.5

Returning Flag Pull %: 37.3

Returning Sack %: 37.1

Returning INT/PBU %: 24.1

Capping off the 3A Flag Football preseason list is the Arizona Lutheran Coyotes.

Similar to Horizon Honors, last year Arizona Lutheran was a first-year program that found itself playing in the postseason.

The main issue for the Coyotes, though, is the lack of returning production.

Out of every stat percentage that I calculated, there is not a single category in which Arizona Lutheran returns over 50 percent.

Some players to watch, though, are 2028 wide receiver Kali Wiechmann, 2028 athlete Sarah Palmer, and 2028 rusher Olivia Richardson.

Even though the senior class that graduated last season made a big impact on the success they had, Arizona Lutheran has a more favorable schedule than most in 3A.

The toughest teams they face include St. John Paul II, Heritage Academy Laveen, and Seton Catholic.

There are a lot of winnable games for the Coyotes this season, and they should easily be a top-12 seed when the regular season is all said and done.