SERENITY HICKMAN NAMED USA FOOTBALL & MAXPREPS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

COLUMBUS, GA. — Nov. 13, 2024 — Columbus High School senior Serenity Hickman is the USA Football & MaxPreps Girls High School Flag Football Player of the Week for Nov. 4 – Nov. 10. Hickman led the Columbus Blue Devils to a 4-1 record during the week with wins against the Brookstone Cougars, Hardaway Hawks, Northside Patriots and Troup County Tigers.  

Columbus outscored its opponents 175 to 19 with three shutout victories during the program’s 4-1 stretch. Hickman completed 50 of 77 passes for 791 yards, 19 touchdowns and only one interception throughout the week. Additionally, she carried the ball 26 times for 221 yards and four touchdowns and added a receiving touchdown. Hickman also contributed 24 flag pulls, an interception and seven pass break ups on defense.  

Hickman’s top target, senior wide receiver Alexandria Lofton, also authored a noteworthy week, catching 28 passes for 483 yards and 10 touchdowns. She also made three interceptions and broke up four additional passes on defense. Lofton won a gold medal while competing against teams from around the world as a member of USA Football’s 17U U.S. Girls’ Flag National Team this past summer at USA Football’s Junior International Cup in Los Angeles.  

This season, Hickman has completed 210 of 323 pass attempts for 2,942 yards and 60 touchdowns while rushing 77 times for 565 yards and eight scores in 20 games. She has also contributed 107 flag pulls, five interceptions and seven pass break ups on defense. Lofton has made 105 receptions for 1,795 yards and 30 touchdowns while intercepting 12 passes and breaking up 36 other attempts.  

As the Player of the Week, Hickman 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 premier 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 more than a dozen upcoming Talent ID Camps.  

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.   

QB SERENITY HICKMAN, COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL (COLUMBUS, GA.) 

• Hickman amassed 1,029 total yards of offense and 24 total touchdowns during Columbus’ 4-1 stretch. 

• Hickman completed 18 of 22 passes for 256 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-6 win against Northside. 

• Hickman passed for three touchdowns on only eight pass attempts in a 40-0 win against Brookstone. 

• Hickman contributed 212 yards on offense and was responsible for five passing and two rushing touchdowns in a 45-0 win against Hardaway.   

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. 

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. 

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.