MaxPreps Names Kelsey Peterson Flag Football Player of Year
The Colorado Springs quarterback led The Classical Academy to a second consecutive state championship win.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Football
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MaxPreps has selected senior quarterback Kelsey Peterson as the 2026 Colorado High School Flag Football Player of the Year. Peterson guided The Classical Academy to a perfect 19-0 record and their second straight state title.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights Peterson's role in a dominant season that saw her team defeat Vista Ridge in the state championship game. Her performance reflects the rising national profile of flag football as a varsity sport.
Peterson finished the 2026 season with 4,750 passing yards and 69 touchdowns, alongside 339 yards and four touchdowns in the championship game. National flag football participation now exceeds 100,000 athletes, marking a 48.7 percent increase since 2024-25.
The players
Kelsey Peterson
She is a senior quarterback at The Classical Academy who has earned accolades for her performance in Colorado high school flag football.
The Classical Academy
Located in Colorado Springs, this school maintains a competitive flag football program that secured two consecutive state championships.
MaxPreps
This organization tracks high school athletics and recognizes top performers through state and national award programs.
The details
In the 34-18 state championship victory, Peterson completed 21 of 39 passes, rushed for one touchdown, recorded four flag pulls, and caught an interception. These stats bolstered her three-year career totals to over 12,000 passing yards and nearly 200 touchdowns.
Timeline
The 2025-26 school year saw national participation exceed 100,000 athletes.
The high school flag football season took place throughout the fall of 2026.
The MaxPreps All-America Team will be released at the end of the spring season.
Season Trajectory
Peterson's recognition aligns with the rapid expansion of girls' flag football, a sport that is currently seeing more than 20 states move to sanction official championships. This growth underscores the changing landscape of high school athletics as programs increasingly prioritize flag football as a varsity-level pursuit.
Peterson's 19-0 season and 193-touchdown career highlight the elite level of play currently defining the state's championship standards. These metrics provide a benchmark for scouting and future roster development within the Colorado high school flag football league.
The takeaway
The rapid growth of flag football programs provides new opportunities for student-athletes to compete for state titles and individual honors. Players interested in the sport should monitor state athletic associations for upcoming league registration and championship eligibility rules.
What happens next
MaxPreps will release the MaxPreps All-America Team at the conclusion of the 2027 spring season.
Further reading
For more news on local athletes, visit the Colorado Springs Football section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by MaxPreps.
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