After a devastating 28-24 loss to Mesa Red Mountain in the 2025 6A semifinals, the Highland Hawks flag football team is channeling that heartbreak into fuel for a championship run in 2026. Sophomore quarterback Lacie Nemchick still replays the pivotal moment—a 95-yard pick-six with just five minutes left that turned a 24-14 lead into a season-ending defeat. "It hurts, with all the hard work we put in," Nemchick says. "But it motivated our whole team to be even better, work even harder."

Now in the final week of spring practice, the Hawks are already building momentum. They captured the 2026 Tampa Flag Football World Championships in January, proving their resilience against top-tier competition. That victory brought a surge of confidence, especially for a team that will see key seniors like wide receivers Addi Riggs and Emilee Searle, and rushers Kylie Riggs and Bella Cruz graduate this spring. But with a strong core returning, including junior center Bella Blum—who hauled in 71 catches for 508 yards and seven touchdowns last season—the drop-off should be minimal.

"It brought our confidence up a lot," Blum says of the Florida win. "We have a lot of seniors leaving, but we know we can still do this. Any adversity, we're going to be fine." With 40 players out for spring drills and a roster loaded with returning talent, Highland is poised to enter the fall as one of Arizona's top-ranked teams. The goal is clear: turn last year's heartbreak into a state championship celebration.