MaxPreps

Every year, thousands of dedicated high school coaches across the country make a lasting impact on their athletes, schools and communities. Selecting just 100 from that vast pool of accomplished leaders is no easy task.

Headlined by MaxPreps National Player of the Year Ariana Akey of Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), we present the inaugural high school girls flag football MaxPreps All-America Team. Joining Akey at the top of the list are National Junior of the Year Makena Cook of Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), National Sophomore of the Year Azul Trujillo of Vincent Memorial (Calexico, Calif.) and National Freshman of the Year Isla Collins of Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, Ariz.).

Florida finished with the most former high school players selected in the 2026 NBA Draft with eight. Two-time MaxPreps National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer headlined the selections from the Sunshine State, coming off the board at No. 3. Missouri was second with seven including first-round picks Cameron Carr, Chris Cenac Jr., Labaron Philon Jr., Tarris Reed and Bennett Stirtz.

Calvary Baptist Academy (37-1) outscored opponents 391-36 on the season en route to its sixth straight state championship. Georgia signee Kynzee Anderson led the Cavaliers with a 30-1 record in the circle, compiling a 0.61 ERA and 318 strikeouts. She finished her career with 129 wins and 1,398 punchouts. Led by head coach Tiffany Wood, Calvary Baptist Academy started the season 30-0 before suffering its first defeat.

A year ago, head coach Rick Arnold's Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) team was on the outside of the MaxPreps Top 25 high school baseball rankings looking in. Today, the Shamrocks are at the top looking down at the other 24 teams after finishing the season with state and national championships. Trinity ended its season with a second straight state title in Kentucky, which has only one classification for baseball.

Roye Oliver III of Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) was one of high school football's top wide receivers in 2025, snagging 92 receptions for 1,893 yards and matching a state record with 29 touchdown catches. For his efforts, Oliver was named MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year. The four-star USC commit announced in May that he was reclassifying from the Class of 2028 to the Class of 2027, putting him on an accelerated path after his dominant campaign last fall.

The 2026 NBA Draft has been a hot topic of conversation in recent weeks. Much of that surrounds a loaded 2025 high school class loaded with players flashing elite potential and expecting to hear their names called Tuesday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. High school success is often overlooked in the NBA Draft process, leaving productive players to fall through the cracks like recent NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, who dropped to the second round in 2018 despite an elite amateur resume.

Brody Bumila of Bishop Feehan (Attleboro, Mass.) was named the 19th MaxPreps Male National Athlete of the Year earlier this month, recognizing his remarkable accomplishments as a basketball and baseball player for the Shamrocks. Now, we are turning our attention to the state level, selecting the top male athlete in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

After a seven-year hiatus, The Opening Finals returns as 120 of high school football's top prospects head to the Nike campus in Oregon for three days of competition, instruction and recruiting exposure. The event is slated for June 24-26 and features the country's most highly-regarded players from the Class of 2027 and standout underclassmen. Athletes earned invitations through a series of regional events held across the United States earlier this year.

Maddyn Greenway of Providence Academy (Plymouth, Minn.) was named the 18th MaxPreps Female National Athlete of the Year last week, recognizing her accomplishments and impact on high school sports. Now, we are turning our attention to the state level, selecting the top female athlete in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The athletes recognized were selected either for exceptional all-around success across multiple sports or achieving elite, national-level distinction in a single sport.