High school girls flag football: Makena Cook, Antonia Lejarde climbing career passing lists

Illinois running backs Allie Sheldon, Acosia Morris ascending all-time rushing leaderboards.

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Sep 22, 2026, 11:00am
Makena Cook of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and Antonia Lejarde of Merced (Calif.) are among a handful of high school flag football players who are climbing the all-time leaderboards or looking to break single-season statistical marks.

Cook, who began her career passing for 13,694 yards and 209 touchdowns over two seasons at Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), has added to that total as the lone senior for nationally-ranked Sierra Canyon. Through 14 games of reported stats, she has thrown for 3,052 yards and 54 touchdowns for a grand total of 16,746 yards and 263 scores.


Lejarde, who put on a show in the 2025 Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship game with 420 passing yards and four touchdowns, broke the California record for career touchdown passes earlier this season. The MaxPreps All-American has thrown for 17,448 career yards and 289 touchdowns.

Desert Oasis (Las Vegas, Nev.) quarterback Akemi Higa, a 2026 graduate, holds the national records for both passing yards (23,519) and touchdowns (384). It's unlikely that Lejarde will pass either of those marks but with nine games remaining on the schedule, she could potentially have a crack at the all-time passing mark for California, chasing Ava Ortman's 18,115 yards from Ventura.
Merced quarterback Antonia Lejarde could finish the season as California's all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. (PHOTO: Rene Morales)
Merced quarterback Antonia Lejarde could finish the season as California's all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. (PHOTO: Rene Morales)
Career passing yards leaders
23,519 – Akemi Higa, Desert Oasis (Las Vegas, Nev.), 2023-26
18,115 – Ava Ortman, Ventura (Calif.), 2023-25
17,448 – Antonia Lejarde, Merced (Calif.), 2023-26
17,193 – Diaris Morales, Choctawhatchee (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.), 2023-26
16,948 – Kaylie Phillips, Liberty (Henderson, Nev.), 2022-25
16,746 – Makena Cook, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 2023-26

Career touchdown passes leaders
384 – Akemi Higa, Desert Oasis
289 – Antonia Lejarde, Merced
275 – Haidyn Spano, Robinson (Tampa, Fla.), 2022-25
263 – Makena Cook, Sierra Canyon
258 – Ava Ortman, Ventura

Illinois running backs climbing the rushing charts

The nation's top two rushing leaders entering this week, Acosia Morris of Richwoods (Peoria, Ill.) and Allie Sheldon of St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.), have raced into the all-time top 10 for career rushing yards.

Through 10 games, Morris has surpassed 200 yards in a game eight times this season for a national-best 2,214 yards. She entered the week sitting at No. 10 on the all-time rushing list with 5,702 yards with one regular season game remaining.

Sheldon, meanwhile, has gone over 2,000 rushing yards for the second straight year. Her 6,494 yards on the ground for her career rank fourth on the all-time list and first in Illinois. On Sept. 16, Sheldon took 15 carries for 340 yards and five touchdowns in a 43-26 win over Joliet Catholic (Joliet, Ill.).

Arbor View (Las Vegas, Nev.) senior Danielle Morales will enter the winter season in Nevada already as the sport's all-time leading rusher with 7,760 career yards.

Career rushing yards leaders
7,612 – Antonia Woods, Las Vegas (Nev.), 2022-24
7,474 – Jordan Ford, Shadow Ridge (Las Vegas, Nev.), 2017-18
6,494 – Allie Sheldon, St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.) 2023-265,943 – Soriah Tafua, Green Valley (Henderson, Nev.), 2022-23
5,970 – Xiamara Drummer, Rancho (Las Vegas, Nev.), 2022-23
5,910 – Jagayra Gomes, Clark (Las Vegas, Nev.), 2018-20
5,702 – Acosia Morris, Richwoods (Peoria, Ill.) 2023-26

California DBs overtaking career interceptions mark

Last year's MaxPreps Nevada Player of the Year and All-American Jaylani Palmer finished her career with a career record of 70 interceptions. Temecula Prep (Winchester, Calif.) junior Bailey Litt recently surpassed that mark with a four-interception game in a 51-14 win over Desert Hot Springs (Calif.) over the weekend.

With a nation-leading 29 interceptions through 16 games this year, Litt has 73 career picks and is also chasing the single-season mark for most pick-sixes. Thirteen of Litt's 29 takeaways have been returned for scores. She also leads the country with 40 total touchdowns (20 receiving, four rushing, 13 interception returns and three punt returns).

The single-season pick-six mark is 14, set by Leshawna Stephens of O'Farrell Charter (San Diego, Calif.) last year, and the single-season mark for interceptions is 39, set by Aaya McLyn of Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) in 2024. Litt and Patriots have six games remaining on their schedule.
  
Faith Ugoje of Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.) and Monet Zauner of St. Francis (Sacramento, Calif.) are also climbing the all-time interception ranks.Through 13 games, Ugoje has 53 career picks while Zauner isn't far behind with 50 midway through her junior season. Both juniors, Ugoje and Zauner still have 11 and 10 games, respectively, remaining on the 2026 regular season schedule to try and keep pace with Litt.

Career interceptions leaders
70 – Jaylani Palmer, Shadow Ridge, 2023-26
54 – Janiana Wess, Forest (Ocala, Fla.), 2023-26
53 – Faith Ugoje, Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.), 2023-26
50 – Monet Zauner, St. Francis (Sacramento, Calif.), 2023-26

Parrent-al advisory

Sophomore quarterback Bri Parrent of Colony (Palmer, Alaska) has put together one of the best all-around statistical seasons the sport has seen. Through 15 games, Parrent is third in the country with 4,445 passing yards, fifth in rushing yards with 1,665 and tied for sixth in the nation with 18 interceptions on defense.

Parrent is also chasing the single-season record for points scored with a reported 363 total points. The record is 389, held by Jessie Giacomazzi of Agoura (Calif.) in 2024. 

Alaska's state championships will wrap up Oct. 10. Parrent's Knights are 14-1 and the No. 1 team in Alaska heading into the final week of the regular season.

Downey QB breaks single-game completions record

On Aug. 19, Madeline Garcia of Downey (Calif.) broke a single-game record with 47 completions in a 47-12 win over Santa Monica (Calif.). Garcia completed 47 of 53 passes for 397 yards and seven TDs in the win.

Garcia broke the previous single-game record of 46 held by Ariel Ochoa of El Capitan (Merced, Calif.) in 2024. Ochoa had a record 887 completions that year. For the season, Garcia has completed 419 of 593 passes through 17 games for a nation-leading 4,511 yards to go with 59 touchdowns.

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