Gilbert Campo Verde is about to play one of the biggest games in Arizona high school flag football history.
Campo Verde is headed to Southern California to play JSerra Catholic, the consensus No. 1-ranked
team in the country, on Friday, Oct. 9. JSerra (22-0) is ranked No. 1 by both USA TODAY and MaxPreps. Campo Verde (4-1) is ranked No. 11 by USA TODAY.
Since the season-opening loss to Gilbert Highland on Sept. 15, which also is nationally ranked by USA TODAY and MaxPreps, the Coyotes have been on a roll, winning the last four games by a combined score of 264-0. Senior quarterback Amaya Moreno, considered one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, looks dialed in.
“We’re feeling good,” Campo Verde coach Brian Coger said. “We got a good game plan, we believe. We understand the talent there. We respect everything they’ve done. But it’s one of those things where we have to go into it with confidence as well, and that’s what we’re doing.
JSerra has been just as dominant and is coming off two recent big wins in a row, against Sierra Canyon and Mater Dei. Both of those schools are in the MaxPreps top 25.
“We’re gonna have to shut down a few of their plays they tend to lean on from what we’ve seen,” Coger said. “Honestly, we just got to stick to our game plan. If we do that, we should be fine.”
This game was specifically scheduled by Coger, as he tries to raise the national profile of his team.
“We want to test ourselves,” Coger said. “We want to go out and try to find the toughest competition that we can find and see where we are nationally.”
Campo Verde features some of the top players in Arizona, with Moreno, sophomore wide receiver and defensive back Jaiyana Bogan-Jacobs and junior wide receiver and defensive back Claire McMahon.
Moreno is currently ranked third in the state with 1,484 passing yards and is second in passing touchdowns with 24. Bogan-Jacobs — who is the No. 2 basketball prospect in the country in the class of 2029 — has been a force on both sides of the ball, with 29 receptions for 496 yards and eight touchdowns on offense and two interceptions on defense. McMahon has 21 receptions for 389 yards and six touchdowns on offense, to go with three interceptions on defense.
In the past, there have been big out-of-state games for Arizona flag football teams. The sport is only in its fourth season since being sanctioned by the AIA in 2023. Chandler Hamilton traveled to Ohio for a national tournament in 2025. Gilbert Highland won the Tampa Flag Football World Championships in January. But both of those games were out-of-season, and Highland was playing as a club team against other clubs.
This matchup is arguably the biggest in state history, considering the national pedigree. The stakes are high. An Arizona school is playing the top-ranked flag football team in the country. It’s California versus Arizona. It’s also a homecoming for Coger.
“We take a lot of pride in it,” Coger said. “Especially for me, being originally from California (Inland Empire) and now being out here. I like to go back home and show them what we can do out here in Arizona.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@RLSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Campo Verde flag heads to California to play No. 1 team in the nation
