Vote. Republic's top 2026 Arizona high school flag football kickers

Flag football's popularity has surged since gaining sanctioning by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) in 2023. The 2026 season, set to commence in September, will feature 159 schools across four conferences. To build anticipation, The Arizona Republic is previewing top players and teams, offering readers the opportunity to vote on their favorite kickers and teams.

The voting poll is accessible after the list online and in print. The focus shifts to kickers, the most challenging position to assess due to limited statistics on MaxPreps. However, this will improve in the upcoming season with more kicking data available. The Republic's top flag football kickers are as follows:

1. Emily Scott from Glendale Mountain Ridge, a senior, demonstrates both range and accuracy. She successfully converted all 34 PATs and made three out of five field goals, including a 35-yarder, placing her among the state's leading kickers in distance.

2. Laela Johnson from Chandler Hamilton, also a senior, is likely to have set the state record for most PATs in a season with 110 points in 2025, including a streak of 39 consecutive PATs. While she rarely attempts field goals, she is remarkably consistent.

3. Mia Ikeda from Gilbert Campo Verde, a junior, combined for 89 points last season, hitting 71 PATs and making six field goals. Her coach, Brian Coger, stated that she has made shots from as far as 46 yards in practice.

4. Ela Witcher from Gilbert Highland, a senior, is stepping into the kicking role vacated by Emilee Searle, aiming to surpass the team's previous longest field goal of 41 yards. Witcher previously excelled in soccer, where her team reached the Open quarterfinals in a winter tournament.

5. Phoebe Linford from Chandler Basha, a senior, is often overlooked as her team rarely kicks. She finished 32 for 34 on PATs and 5 for 5 on field goals. Linford trains with Mikey Barth, Basha's kicker for the tackle team and one of the top-ranked kickers nationwide.

6. Keira Eisenberg from Scottsdale Desert Mountain, a junior, consistently performs well, converting 25 of 26 PATs and making five field goals, including a 27-yarder. She can potentially kick from a distance of 35 yards and even contributed to icing a crucial game against Phoenix Mountain Pointe.

7. Adelina Ortega from Sierra Vista Buena, a junior, had a flawless PAT record with 62 made out of 62 attempts. She also handles punting duties.

8. Ashlyn Hough from Queen Creek Ben Franklin, a senior, impressed in her first year of kicking, going 41 for 42 on PATs and 6 for 10 on field goals. Coach Jake Thomas noted that Hough has recently discovered her potential for longer kicks.

9. Bella Macedo from Chandler Valley Christian, a junior, could become the top kicker in the 3A division. As a third-year player, she took over kicking duties this season, originally playing soccer but now transitioning to football, thanks to her coach, Billy Ernt.

10. Kaiya Smith from Queen Creek Crismon, a senior, is a multi-sport athlete and the starting goalkeeper for the varsity soccer team that finished as the 4A state runner-up. She scored 59 PATs and four field goals last season, totaling 71 points, placing her among the state's leading scorers.