High school flag football rankings: Legend, The Classical Academy rise in MaxPreps Top 25 after claiming Colorado state championships

McEachern, Grovetown of Georgia join rankings.

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Oct 26, 2026, 11:00am
A pair of Colorado teams rise in this week's MaxPreps Top 25 high school flag football rankings after championship performances Saturday.

Legend (Parker) rises to No. 6 after defeating Arvada West (Arvada) 7-0 in the Class 5A final. A 19-yard touchdown pass from Addyson Law to Ella Smith in the first quarter was all the Titans needed to secure the program's first state championship. The Titans (17-2) also reached the state final in 2025 but fell to Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch).

The Class 4A title was claimed by The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs), which climbs to No. 15 after a 34-18 victory over Vista Ridge (Colorado Springs). The Titans (19-0) have won back-to-back state titles and enter the MaxPreps Top 25 behind state player of the year candidate Kelsey Peterson.

Peterson threw for 339 yards and four touchdowns with a touchdown run and an interception in the state final while junior Reagan Harter caught nine passes for 237 yards and four scores.
Addyson Law and the Legend Titans rise to No. 6 in the MaxPreps Top 25 after winning the Colorado Class 5A state championship Saturday with a 7-0 win over Arvada West. (PHOTO: Eric Brown)
Addyson Law and the Legend Titans rise to No. 6 in the MaxPreps Top 25 after winning the Colorado Class 5A state championship Saturday with a 7-0 win over Arvada West. (PHOTO: Eric Brown)
McEachern takes down unbeaten Moody

Georgia power McEachern (Powder Springs) rises to No. 8 in the rankings this week after an 8-0 start, which includes a 26-7 interstate victory over previously-unbeaten Moody (Ala.) and a 28-6 win over in-state power Blessed Trinity (Roswell) last Thursday.

Ava George completed 26 of 35 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns over the two Thursday wins. George has completed 75 percent of her passes for the season while including four interceptions on the defensive end. 

McEachern is 100-6 since 2022, including a 28-0 championship campaign in 2024 and a state runner-up finish in 2025.

Moody had won 18 straight games to begin the 2026 season. Up next for the Blue Devils is the AHSAA playoffs, where they will try to defend their 1A/5A state championship beginning Nov. 5. The finals are set for Dec. 1.

Junior Serenity Rutledge has passed for 4,663 yards and 66 touchdowns with an additional 1,058 yards and 15 scores rushing. She also has a team-high 16 interceptions on defense.

Southern Section final four shapes up this week

California's Southern Section Open Division playoffs opened pool play last week with eight ranked teams in the 12-team field.

No. 1 JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) took down Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) and can clinch a spot in the Oct. 31 semifinals with a victory over No. 16 Edison (Huntington Beach) on Wednesday. 

No. 4 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach) beat Dos Pueblos (Goleta) and can clinch a semifinal berth with a win over Westlake this week. 

No. 3 Orange Lutheran (Orange) defeated Downey, setting up a do a die game Wednesday against Woodbridge (Irvine), which features sophomore quarterback Delia Stone, who has thrown for 7,329 yards and is approaching the single-season touchdown passes record. She is currently eight shy of the 122 set by Julia Rose of Vestavia Hills (Ala.) in 2025.

No. 11 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) defeated No. 12 Saint Joseph (Lakewood) last week and can get into the Open Division final four with a win over No. 13 Huntington Beach on Wednesday. 

Tiebreaker scenarios start with point differential, points allowed and points scored. The Open Division championships are set for Nov. 7 at Huntington Beach High School.

Kansas crowns inaugural champion

St. James Academy (Lenexa) became the first state champion in Kansas history with a 26-7 win over Saint Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park) last week. Emme Albright threw four touchdown passes to lead the Thunder.

Kansas held its first sanctioned flag football season in 2026. The state final was postponed from its original March 17 date after a deadly vehicle accident killed two people at a nearby youth soccer field.

Read on for a complete look at this week's rankings.

MaxPreps Top 25

1. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Record: 25-0 | Last week: 1

2. St. Charles North (St. Charles, Ill.)
Record: 26-0 | Last week: 2

Record: 17-4 | Last week: 3

4. Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.)
Record: 21-4 | Last week: 4

5. Greenbrier (Evans, Ga.)
Record: 13-0 | Last week: 5

6. Legend (Parker, Colo.)
Record: 17-2 | Last week: 16

7. Central (Phenix City, Ala.)
Record: 13-2 | Last week: 9

8. McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: NR

9. Moody (Ala.)
Record: 18-1 | Last week: 8

10. Prospect (Mt. Prospect, Ill.)
Record: 21-1 | Last week: 10

11. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Record: 19-6 | Last week: 14

12. Saint Joseph (Lakewood, Calif.)
Record: 21-2 | Last week: 20

13. Huntington Beach (Calif.)
Record: 21-5 | Last week: 7

14. Merced (Calif.)
Record: 21-2 | Last week: 11

Record: 19-0 | Last week: NR

Record: 21-7 | Last week: 13

17. Campo Verde (Gilbert, Ariz.)
Record: 12-2 | Last week: 23

18. North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.)
Record: 13-1 | Last week: 17

19. Evanston (Ill.)
Record: 18-3 | Last week: 12

20. Milton (Ga.)
Record: 12-1 | Last week: 19

Record: 17-2 | Last week: NR

22. Chaparral (Parker, Colo.)
Record: 17-1 | Last week: 6

23. Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Record: 15-3 | Last week: 15

24. Glenbrook South (Glenview, Ill.)
Record: 20-1 | Last week: 18

Record: 13-0 | Last week: NR

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