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The inaugural season of KSHSAA-sanctioned girls flag football gave Wichita-area athletes their first opportunity to compete for an official state championship — and plenty of players made their mark in the sport’s historic debut.

To recognize the pioneers who helped establish the sport, The Wichita Eagle has selected its first All-Metro girls flag football team, honoring the top 10 offensive and 10 defensive players from schools in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties.

Selections were based on a combination of team success, individual statistics and feedback from area coaches throughout the season, with an emphasis on recognizing the players who made the biggest impact on the field.

Maize South junior quarterback Karli Harden was named Player of the Year on the All-Metro team after throwing for more than 2,600 yards and scoring 47 touchdowns to lead the Mavericks to the state tournament.

Wichita Eagle All-Metro flag football team

All-Metro offense

Emmie Cooper, Campus senior

Few quarterbacks in Kansas could match Cooper’s production. The Campus senior completed 235 passes for 2,000 yards and 43 touchdowns, adding four rushing scores while directing the Colts to an 8-3 record. Her football success added to an impressive athletic resume that includes basketball and second-team Class 6A all-state softball honors.

Savannah Gering, Maize South sophomore

Opposing defenses had plenty of reasons to fear Gering, who turned 55 receptions into 760 yards and a team-high 18 touchdowns. The sophomore receiver helped Maize South win 10 games and become the Wichita area’s lone state tournament qualifier. She was already an All-Metro softball selection after hitting .455 with seven home runs as a freshman last spring.

Karli Harden, Maize South junior

Harden helped make Kansas girls flag football history both in the boardroom and on the field. After advocating for KSHSAA to sanction the sport, she quarterbacked Maize South to the inaugural state tournament with 2,194 passing yards and 38 touchdowns on 196 completions. The state-qualifying discus thrower was equally dangerous on the ground, rushing for 422 yards and nine more scores.

Nariah Harris, West senior

There was almost nothing Harris couldn’t do for the Pioneers. She passed for 672 yards and 14 touchdowns, rushed for 565 yards and seven scores, and caught four more touchdown passes. Her defensive impact was just as impressive: 55 flag pulls, 13 pass breakups and seven interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns. Harris also helped advocate for KSHSAA to sanction the sport she would eventually excel in.

Rhys Hauserman, Bishop Carroll senior

Whether catching passes or taking handoffs, Hauserman gave Bishop Carroll one of its most dependable offensive weapons. The senior led the Golden Eagles with 14 receptions for 181 yards and a team-high six touchdowns while adding 155 rushing yards. Her athleticism was already well established in soccer, where she earned second-team All-City League honors as a forward.

JerAmoni Metcalf-Jones, Campus junior

A standout hurdler on the track, Metcalf-Jones gave defenders another kind of obstacle to overcome on the football field. The junior piled up 1,000 yards of offense, including 720 rushing yards and 280 receiving yards on 30 catches. She scored 10 touchdowns, recorded 28 flag pulls and added two sacks as a linebacker while helping Campus win eight games.

Miya Respress, East sophomore

Throw it anywhere near Respress, and she had a chance to come down with it. Her height, strength and ability to win contested catches made her East’s most dangerous offensive weapon, even when defenses knew the ball was coming her way. An all-state basketball selection as a freshman who also placed fourth in the Class 6A state shot put, Respress added flag football to her long list of successes.

Rilynn Simmons, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior

Simmons knows what it takes to thrive on a championship-caliber team. An all-state soccer defender who helped Kapaun finish third in Class 5A last spring, she became part of the Crusaders’ potent flag football offense during a 10-2 season. Her contributions helped Kapaun capture the City League championship in the sport’s inaugural sanctioned season.

Reese Storm, Campus sophomore

Storm was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, regardless of which team had possession. On offense, she hauled in 50 passes for 1,080 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. On defense, she intercepted nine passes, returned three for touchdowns and collected 33 flag pulls. The sophomore was already a standout softball player who delivered the winning hit in Campus’ state tournament upset of previously unbeaten Derby last spring.

Heidi Williams, Maize sophomore

Even double coverage wasn’t always enough to keep Williams from making a catch. The sophomore’s hands and ability to win the ball in traffic made her Maize’s most reliable receiving threat despite the extra attention from opposing defenses. She also ranks among the area’s top young basketball talents, earning second-team All-Metro honors after a freshman season highlighted by a 39-point performance against Valley Center.

All-Metro defense

Emerson Burkhart, Maize South sophomore

Burkhart made an immediate impact as one of the area’s most disruptive pass rushers, piling up 18 sacks and 30 flag pulls in her freshman season. Her ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks helped Maize South win 10 games and become the Wichita area’s lone qualifier for the inaugural state flag football tournament.

Farrah Fossoh, Maize South junior

Fossoh had a knack for finding the ball, and the numbers tell the story. Her 77 flag pulls led Maize South, while she also contributed four sacks, five pass breakups and three interceptions to a defense that helped the Mavericks reach the inaugural state tournament. The junior linebacker is also a state track and field qualifier in the javelin.

Stella Fury, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior

The instincts that made Fury the Class 5A midfielder of the year in soccer translated seamlessly to the football field. After producing 17 goals and 11 assists for Kapaun’s state semifinalist soccer team last spring, she became a key member of the Crusaders’ flag football defense at safety. Kapaun finished 10-2 and celebrated a City League championship.

Hope Garner, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior

Garner’s versatility proved valuable for a Kapaun team that established itself as one of the Wichita area’s best. The junior contributed at receiver and defensive back during the Crusaders’ 10-win, City League championship season. She also made her mark on the soccer field last spring, earning honorable mention All-City League recognition as a forward.

Paige Kelly, Maize South senior

Apparently, Kelly has a talent for keeping opponents from scoring, no matter the sport. An accomplished soccer goalkeeper, she became a ball-hawking safety who led Maize South with a staggering 15 interceptions. She also recorded 27 flag pulls and 10 pass breakups, giving the Mavericks a defensive playmaker who could change games with a single possession.

Carmela Kurth, Maize South junior

Few defenders filled up the statistical sheet quite like Kurth. The Maize South linebacker accumulated 75 flag pulls, nine pass breakups and six interceptions, turning two of her defensive plays into touchdowns. Her ability to disrupt both the running and passing games helped power the Mavericks to 10 victories and the Wichita area’s lone state tournament appearance.

Destiny Maze, Wichita Heights senior

Already an all-state basketball player, Maze put together one of the most impressive two-way seasons in Wichita flag football. At quarterback, she accounted for 1,260 yards of offense and 15 touchdowns, including 556 rushing yards. At safety, she was even more disruptive, collecting 13 interceptions, 36 flag pulls, nine pass breakups and two defensive touchdowns. Few players influenced games in as many ways.

Sophia Penaloza, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior

Penaloza brought a championship mentality from the soccer pitch to Kapaun’s defensive front. An honorable mention Class 5A all-state soccer midfielder, she helped the Crusaders establish themselves as the City League’s top flag football team. Kapaun finished 10-2 during the inaugural sanctioned season, adding another successful chapter to Penaloza’s senior year.

Alola Reilly, Wichita Northwest senior

Reilly wasn’t content to simply play flag football. She wanted to help make sure future generations of Kansas girls could play it, too. The Northwest captain spoke to KSHSAA officials in support of sanctioning the sport, then backed up her advocacy with 10 sacks and 32 flag pulls as one of the area’s most effective pass rushers.

Aniston Rolf, Bishop Carroll freshman

It didn’t take Rolf long to prove she belonged at the varsity level. The freshman safety led the Golden Eagles with 40 flag pulls, including eight sacks, and added an interception during her first high school season. Her ability to create pressure and make plays in the backfield made her one of the area’s most promising young players.

Maleigha Schmidt, Campus junior

Schmidt’s versatility made her an indispensable piece of Campus’ eight-win season. She scored 10 offensive touchdowns, including seven receiving and three rushing, while catching 30 passes and producing 420 total yards. The All-Metro soccer forward was even more active on defense, compiling 40 flag pulls, 12 pass breakups, four interceptions, three sacks and a pick-six.

Coach of the Year

Corey Bowen, Campus coach

While many Wichita-area teams had already played flag football before its inaugural sanctioned season, Campus was starting from scratch — and so was Bowen, who had never coached flag football before. Bowen turned the Colts into the area’s breakout team, guiding them to an 8-3 record and a regional championship game appearance. Behind star quarterback Emmie Cooper, who threw for 2,000 yards and 43 touchdowns, Campus developed one of the area’s most explosive offenses and emerged as an immediate contender despite having no previous experience as a program.

All-Metro flag football second team

Isa Asensio, Bishop Carroll senior

Jazzlyn Boutte, South freshman

Nelly Carter, Northwest sophomore

Emma Chandler, Bishop Carroll junior

Brooke Crumrine, Campus senior

Rosa Flores, Southeast senior

Taylor Hansen, Maize South sophomore

Ava Hanson, Derby sophomore

Calais Hickerson, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior

Mya Howell, Heights senior

Ella Hulu, Derby sophomore

Amiyah Jones, West senior

Jaedyn Jones, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior

Brynnley Lerch, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore

Krislynn Martinez, Maize South junior

Sieonnie Massey-Banks, Southeast junior

Karla Morales, Northwest sophomore

Aubree Naputi, Maize sophomore

Avi Nesbitt, West freshman

Maielle Payne, North sophomore

Maleah Powell, Southeast junior

Ashtyn Rocha, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior

Abigail Sabbagh, Maize senior

Yami Salgado, North freshman

Caylee Sallee, South senior

Bella Scott, Northwest sophomore

Norah Seeley, Campus sophomore

Kinsey Summers, Maize South sophomore

Bella Trevino, Southeast sophomore

Anabella Velazquez, Northwest sophomore

Emma Vogel, Maize senior

Zariyah Walker, West junior

Miracle Washington, North junior

Bliss White, Northwest senior

Reece Whiteley, Bishop Carroll junior

Amriel Whitney, Campus senior

Taylor Mires, Kapaun Mt. Carmel coach

Matt Kerr, Maize South coach