Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission Announces Week 8 Medallion Recipients for the 2026 Arizona High School Flag Football Player of the Year Award
Fourteen Athletes Earn Week 8 Arizona Girls Flag Football Medallion Recognition
PHOENIX (November 12, 2026) — The Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission (ASEC) and its managed entity, the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club (GCSGC), have announced 14 Week 8 Girls Flag Football Medallion recipients. The awards recognize standout performances in games played November 3–5 as well as achievements across the season.
“Some of these players earned their medallion with a performance their teammates will talk about for years. Others put up numbers that took a whole season of showing up and delivering. From the receivers finding the end zone to the defenders getting pressure and pulling flags, this group shows how many ways there are to change a game. We’re proud to celebrate all 14 of them.”
Nikki Balich, executive director, Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission
The Week 8 honorees are Jaiyana Bogan-Jacobs (Campo Verde); Avyanna Buchanan (North); Caleena Blackburne (Palo Verde); Malia Woodberry (Cactus Canyon); Rayne Williams (Dysart); Amyah Anderson and Victoria Beakes (Corona del Sol); Kendyll Dinh and Kaelie Weishaar (Chaparral); Allyson Besold (Agua Fria); Siena Morgan and Aaliyah Cantabrana (Cibola); Isabella Garcia (Marana); and Ela Witcher (Highland).
The medallions recognize weekly excellence as the program continues toward its end-of-season selection of Arizona’s outstanding high school girls’ flag football player. For more information on the award, visit www.azsportsent.com or call 480.517.9700.
Week 8 Medallion Winners
Fourteen student-athletes earned Week 8 Arizona High School Flag Football Player of the Year Award Medallions and entered the qualified award pool.
Jaiyana Bogan-Jacobs
Campo VerdeBogan-Jacobs caught 95 passes for 1,654 yards and 35 touchdowns, averaging 17.4 yards per reception with a long of 80 yards. She returned two interceptions for touchdowns, bringing her season total to 37 touchdowns.
Avyanna Buchanan
NorthBuchanan recorded 61 sacks, 92 flag pulls (79 solo) and 29 quarterback hurries. She also rushed 42 times for 537 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 12.8 yards per carry, and returned nine punts for 235 yards.
Caleena Blackburne
Palo VerdeBlackburne rushed 114 times for 1,206 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 10.6 yards per carry. She added 11 receiving touchdowns, four interception return touchdowns and four punt return touchdowns, finishing with 34 total touchdowns and 230 points. She returned 14 punts for 464 yards.
Malia Woodberry
Cactus CanyonWoodberry caught eight passes for 184 yards and five touchdowns and recorded an interception in a 51–0 win over Academies of South Mountain on November 5.
Rayne Williams
DysartWilliams rushed 188 times for 1,682 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 9.0 yards per carry and 129.4 rushing yards per game. She also recorded 154 flag pulls.
Amyah Anderson
Corona del SolAnderson caught 128 passes for 1,517 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 11.9 yards per catch. She also rushed 52 times for 531 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with 2,048 combined rushing and receiving yards.
Kendyll Dinh
ChaparralDinh caught six passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns in a 54–0 win over McClintock on November 3. She added a rushing touchdown and three interceptions, returning one for a score to finish with five total touchdowns. Her longest reception went for 71 yards.
Allyson Besold
Agua FriaBesold caught 99 passes for 1,546 yards and nine touchdowns. She averaged 118.9 receiving yards per game and 15.6 yards per catch, with a long of 74 yards.
Siena Morgan
CibolaMorgan recorded 14 interceptions for 59 return yards and a touchdown. She also caught 58 passes for 1,009 yards and 23 touchdowns, averaging 17.4 yards per reception and finishing with 24 total touchdowns.
Aaliyah Cantabrana
CibolaCantabrana completed 17 of 20 passes (85 percent) for 316 yards and a reported 11 touchdown passes in an 80–0 win over Kofa on November 5.
Kaelie Weishaar
ChaparralWeishaar completed 15 of 28 passes for 314 yards and six touchdowns without an interception in a 54–0 win over McClintock on November 3. She added a 13-yard rush to finish with 327 yards of total offense.
Isabella Garcia
MaranaGarcia completed 389 of 521 passes (74.7 percent) for 3,666 yards and 47 touchdowns. She added 696 yards and eight touchdowns on 88 carries, accounting for 4,362 yards of total offense and 55 touchdowns.
Victoria Beakes
Corona del SolBeakes completed 36 of 42 passes for 560 yards and six touchdowns in a 56–0 win over Xavier College Prep on November 5. She rushed four times for 32 yards and two scores, accounting for 592 yards and eight touchdowns.
Ela Witcher
HighlandWitcher recorded 16 interceptions for 60 return yards. MaxPreps’ statewide scoring leaderboard credits her with 23 total touchdowns and 156 points.
About the Arizona High School Flag Football Player of the Year Award
Introduced by the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club in 2024, the Arizona High School Flag Football Player of the Year Award annually recognizes the state’s top girls’ flag football player. Weekly medallions honor outstanding individual performances during the season.
About the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club
The Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club (GCSGC) is Arizona's leading advocate for high school football, dedicated to recognizing the state's top student-athletes. The club presents the prestigious Ed Doherty Award to the most outstanding prep football player at the end of each season, and in 2024 introduced the Arizona High School Flag Football Player of the Year Award, now given annually to the state’s top girls’ flag football player. Through these initiatives, the club celebrates individual athletic, academic, and leadership achievements, promoting Arizona’s rich football tradition on a national stage.
About the Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission
The Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission (ASEC) is a non-profit organization created in 1988. The commission collaborates with hundreds of partners to help fulfill the mission of bringing national and international sporting events to the state; assisting in the promotion of existing events and Arizona sports teams; providing volunteer recruitment and organization for large-scale sporting events; and developing youth sports programs. In 2009, it assumed oversight of the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2012, the Grand Canyon State Games and the Lori Piestewa National Native American Games. The ASEC was also the founding organization and owner of the 2015 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl. The commission is also co-owner and strategic partner for Section 7, one of the most prestigious boys' and girls' high school basketball recruiting events in the country. For more information on the ASEC, please call 480.517.9700 or visit www.azsportsent.com.
For more information, visit azsportsent.com.