JULIA ROSE NAMED USA FOOTBALL & MAXPREPS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Sept. 18, 2025 — Vestavia Hills High School senior quarterback Julia Rose is the USA Football & MaxPreps Girls High School Flag Football Player of the Week for Sept. 8 – 14. Rose led the Rebels to a 6-0 record last week, outscoring opponents 189 to 32 during that time. 

Vestavia Hills defeated the Prattville Lions twice, along with the Albertville Aggies, John Carroll Catholic Cavaliers, Murphy Panthers and Northside Methodist Academy Knights. Rose completed 123 of 189 pass attempts (65.08%) for 1,367 yards, 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. She also ran for a touchdown. The Rebels currently have a 15-1 record.  

This season, Rose leads Vestavia Hills with 3,883 passing yards and 64 touchdowns, following up an impressive junior campaign that resulted in her passing for 5,126 yards and 76 touchdowns. As of Sept. 17, she ranks fourth among quarterbacks listed on the MaxPreps leaderboard in passing yards for the fall season. Rose is tied with 15U U.S. Girls’ National Team alumni Makena Cook for the national lead in passing touchdowns.  

As the Player of the Week, Rose will receive a complimentary opportunity to be further evaluated through USA Football’s National Team Development Program at a Talent ID Camp in the fall or spring. The development program is part of the premier pathway to Team USA Football®, which represents our country in international competitions such as the Junior International Cup, World Championships and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. 

Athletes who attend the National Team Development Program’s Talent ID Camp are eligible to receive invitations to future U.S. National Teams Trials within their age classification. 

As football’s official National Governing Body, USA Football oversees all aspects of American football in the U.S. This includes selecting, training and leading Team USA Football in both tackle and flag football for international competitions, including the 2028 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 award winners 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 who are helping to drive flag football at the high school level. USA Football research shows more than 1.7 million athletes ages 6-17 played the sport in 2024, representing a 37% 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 283% from 2015 to 2024. 

Opportunities for girls and women to play flag football competitively for high school and college programs are increasing. Sixteen 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. 

QB JULIA ROSE, VESTAVIA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL (BIRMINGHAM, ALA.)  

• Rose passed for 1,367 yards and 26 touchdowns while going 6-0 from Sept. 8-14.  

• Rose passed for five or more touchdowns in games against Albertville, John Carroll Catholic and Northside Methodist Academy.  

• Rose completed 20 of 26 pass attempts for 224 yards and seven touchdowns against Northside Methodist Academy.  

• Rose ranks fourth nationally in passing yards and is tied for the national lead in passing touchdowns.  

SPRING 2025 FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK WINNERS   

WEEK 1 – JILLIAN TRUAX, SPRUCE CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, PORT ORANGE, FLA. 

WEEK 2 – AISHAT HASSAN, CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, NEWARK, N.J. 

WEEK 3 – TRINITY RYAN, LAVERGNE HIGH SCHOOL, LA VERGNE, TENN. 

WEEK 4 – ELLIE GRISSOM, VAN BUREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, SPENCER, TENN. 

WEEK 5 – CARA NEJAK, SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL, WILLOUGHBY, OHIO 

WEEK 6 – MADYSON FIZER, EASTRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, ROCHESTER, N.Y. 

FALL 2024 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. 

WEEK 3 – BREANA SAUNDERS, MILLENNIUM HIGH SCHOOL, GOODYEAR, ARIZ. 

WEEK 4 – BREN DAVID, MILPITAS HIGH SCHOOL, MILPITAS, CALIF. 

WEEK 5 – VICTORY BRAGG, SAINT MARY’S HIGH SCHOOL, STOCKTON, CALIF. 

WEEK 6 – SERENITY HICKMAN, COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL, COLUMBUS, GA. 

WEEK 7 – JULISSA ISLAS, ALHAMBRA HIGH SCHOOL, MARTINEZ, CALIF. 

About USA Football: USA Football is the National Governing Body (NGB) for American Football in the United States and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport of American football. USA Football selects, trains and leads Team USA in tackle and flag football disciplines, while delivering world-class football development resources, sport standards and competitive opportunities to empower athletes at every level. USA Football is committed to ensuring every athlete has access to develop and compete in the game through safer, inclusive and innovative pathways. For more information, visit usafootball.com. 

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 PlayOn Sports property, MaxPreps was founded in August 2002. For more information about MaxPreps, please visit www.maxpreps.com.