BREANA SAUNDERS NAMED USA FOOTBALL & MAXPREPS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

GOODYEAR, ARIZ. — Oct. 23, 2024 — Millennium High School senior Breana Saunders is the USA Football & MaxPreps Girls High School Flag Football Player of the Week for Oct. 14 – Oct. 20. Saunders led the Millennium Tigers to a 3-0 record during the week with wins against the Campo Verde Coyotes, Corona del Sol Aztecs and Mountain View Toros.  

During their 3-0 stretch, Saunders turned in all-around performances with contributions on both sides of the ball. She completed 42 of 73 pass attempts for 561 yards and five touchdowns. Additionally, Saunders gained 329 yards and scored four touchdowns on 36 rushes and caught a touchdown pass against Corona del Sol.  

Saunders also made an impact on defense, pulling nine flags, intercepting two passes and breaking up an additional throw during Millennium’s 3-0 run. She has double-digit interceptions this year. The Tigers entered this week with a 12-2 overall record this season. 

Saunders will receive a complimentary invitation to a USA Football Talent ID Camp of her choosing to be further evaluated through USA Football’s National Team Development Program. The development program is part of the pathway to USA Football’s U.S. National Teams, which represent our country in international competitions such as World Championships and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Talent ID Camp attendees are eligible to receive invitations to future U.S. National Teams Trials. USA Football recently announced 14 upcoming Talent ID Camps, including one in Phoenix.  

USA Football is the sport’s governing body in the United States and the organization that creates and leads the U.S. National Teams that represent our country in international competitions, including the Olympics. USA Football partnered with MaxPreps to start the Girls High School Flag Football Player of the Week award and continue to bring attention to the exploding popularity of flag football throughout the country.  

USA Football and MaxPreps will announce an award winner each week during the fall and spring high school girls’ flag football seasons based on game statistics entered by coaches into MaxPreps.  

This award celebrates the achievements of the athletes that are helping to drive flag football at the high school level. USA Football research shows more than 1.6 million athletes ages 6-17 played the sport in 2023, representing a 38.2% increase in participation over the past decade. Much of that growth is being driven by girls and women. Participation among girls ages 6-12 increased by approximately 222% from 2014 to 2023.  

Opportunities for girls and women to play flag football competitively for high school and college programs are increasing. Thirteen states sanction girls’ flag football as a varsity sport for current or future seasons. Women’s flag football at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level features college scholarships and a national championship.   

ATH BREANA SAUNDERS, MILLENNIUM HIGH SCHOOL (GOODYEAR, ARIZ.)  

• Saunders amassed 915 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns while going 3-0 last week. 

• Saunders totaled 357 yards of offense and scored all three of Millennium’s touchdowns against Mountain View.  

• Saunders rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries and passed for 196 yards and a score in a 34-7 win against Corona del Sol.  

• Saunders accounted for all of Millennium’s passing and rushing yards against Campo Verde.  

PREVIOUS FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK WINNERS   

WEEK 1 – DEJA SMITH, ST. MARY’S ACADEMY, INGLEWOOD, CALIF. 

WEEK 2 – KATIA SLAMA, KING CITY HIGH SCHOOL, KING CITY, CALIF. 

About USA Football: USA Football is the governing body of American football in the United States, the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football, and a recognized sports organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Its non-profit mission includes designing and delivering premier educational, development, and competitive programs for American football, including tackle and flag football. USA Football is the only organization that selects and organizes men’s and women’s U.S. National Teams in federation-sanctioned international competition.

About MaxPreps: MaxPreps is the nation’s leading high school sports destination, offering fans the most comprehensive coverage with the latest scores, statistics, news, rankings, photos, and more. MaxPreps aspires to cover every high school team, game and player by partnering with more than 100,000 coaches throughout the country. A unit of Paramount and a CBSSports.com site, MaxPreps was founded in August 2002 and is headquartered in El Dorado Hills, Calif. For more information about MaxPreps, please visit www.maxpreps.com.