After another deep postseason run,
Huntington Beach (Calif.) enters the inaugural MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown on Sept. 11-12 with one of the nation's most experienced and explosive rosters.
Head coach Zack Pannell's Oilers finished 25-2 last season, won 11 of 12 league games and climbed to No. 9 in the final MaxPreps national fall rankings before their season ended in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. The program has steadily ascended over the past three years, improving from 13-6 in 2023 to 21-8 in 2024 before breaking through with a 25-win campaign.
The offense is powered by senior quarterback
Roxie Shaia, a MaxPreps All-American from a year ago who threw for 6,692 yards and 89 touchdowns while adding two rushing scores.
"She's been top 10 in the nation since, honestly, she was a sophomore," Pannell said of Shaia. "So going into her senior year, she's got a little chip on her shoulder to take us through the finish line."
Senior Roxie Shaia has been one of the most prolific passers in the country for Huntington Beach, which will contend for the inaugural MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown Sept. 11-12. (PHOTO: Tim Peck)
Shaia will once again have an elite group of playmakers at her disposal, including seniors
Brianna Massion and
Shelby Nguyen, who combined for more than 2,100 receiving yards and 31 touchdown receptions. Junior
Daisy Quatman provides versatility after totaling 25 touchdowns as both a receiver and runner, while junior
Teagan Goodgame gives the Oilers another proven target.
Defensively, senior
Mia Aish leads an experienced unit after recording 133 flag pulls, eight interceptions and three sacks last season.
Huntington Beach also brings valuable experience against elite competition after going 5-2 against fellow MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown participants last season, making the Oilers a legitimate contender.
"Obviously everybody knows who MaxPreps is in all sports," Pannell said. "And with this being such a fast-growing sport, having it be the tournament that everyone wants to go to, this is an invitational that only the top teams get invited to. So I told them, 'Hey, when we go in there, we've got to make a stamp. We've got to make a point and show everybody what we've got.'"
