Quick look: After establishing themselves as two of the top girls flag football teams in the country, Huntington Beach High School and Newport Harbor High School will compete in a national tournament hosted by MaxPreps.
As girls high school flag football has exploded in popularity over the last few years, one thing has been missing: opportunities for the nation’s best teams to face off and prove themselves against elite competition.
Enter the inaugural MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown.
Set for Sept. 11-12 at the Elite Athletic Training Center in Chula Vista, the tournament will feature 18 of the top high school girls flag football teams from across the country, giving nationally ranked programs a rare chance to compete outside their local schedules.
Representing Orange County public schools are Huntington Beach High School and Newport Harbor High School, ranked No. 3 and No. 6 in the state and No. 9 and 19th in the nation, respectively.
After a stellar 25-2 season, the Huntington Beach Oilers will look to avenge their only two losses from a year ago, which came against cross-beach rivals Newport Harbor and JSerra Catholic — the No. 1 team in the country from San Juan Capistrano, California and another tournament invitee.
The team is led by standout junior quarterback Roxie Shaia, who is coming off a stellar season of her own where she threw for 6,692 yards — 10th most in the nation — and 89 touchdowns while completing over 70 percent of her passes. With still another season yet to play, her 14,157 career passing yards rank 16th all time since the sport became CIF sanctioned in 2023, according to the MaxPreps National High School Girls Flag Football Record Book.
Meanwhile, the Newport Harbor Sailors are headlined by a stifling defense that held opponents scoreless in nine different games last season en route to a 23-3 record and third consecutive Sunset League title. Their secret? Getting after opposing quarterbacks and applying relentless pressure. The team finished with 67 sacks on the season, more than double the national average of 33.
“We are thrilled to have been invited to compete in the MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown,” said Newport Harbor Head Coach Jason Guyser. “It is a reflection of the national program we have built here at Newport Harbor over the first three years of CIF.”
After establishing themselves as one of Orange County’s premier programs, the Sailors now have an opportunity to prove they belong among the nation’s best.
“We think the Showdown will be a great opportunity for us to see top programs from other parts of the state and even a couple teams from other states, which is really exciting,” Guyser said. “We are looking forward to playing teams we don’t normally compete against and hopefully maintaining the standard we have set here at Newport Harbor.”
The tournament will be streamed on the NFHS Network, with additional viewing details to be announced. A second tournament for East Coast schools is planned for spring 2027.
Here is the complete list of teams competing in the Flag Football Showdown: High School
Bonita Vista (Chula Vista): No. 48 national
Camarillo High School : No. 16 national
Carlsbad High School: No. 67 national
Central (Phenix City, Alabama): No. 2 national
Del Norte High School (San Diego): No. 482 national
Glacier (Kalispell, Montana): Ranking unavailable
Huntington Beach High School: No. 9 national
JSerra Catholic High School (San Juan Capistrano): No. 1 national
McClatchy High School (Sacramento): No. 20 national
Merced High School: No. 34 national
Newport Harbor High School: No. 19 national
Orange Lutheran High School: No. 7 national
San Marcos High School: No. 192 national
San Ramon Valley High School (Danville): No. 31 national
Sierra Canyon High School (Chatsworth): Ranking unavailable
Torrey Pines High School (San Diego): No. 30 national
Vincent Memorial High School (Calexico): No. 75 national
West Park High School (Roseville): No. 55 national