The Maxwell Football Club has named Keira Quinn of Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School in Pennsylvania as the second recipient of its Girls National High School Flag Football Player of the Year award, underscoring the growing prominence of girls’ flag football within the United States’ wider sports economy.
The announcement places Quinn among an expanding group of elite youth athletes emerging from a sport that has seen accelerated investment from schools, governing bodies and professional leagues. The award will be formally presented at the 89th Maxwell Awards, scheduled for March 14, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Founded more than eight decades ago, the Maxwell Football Club is best known for administering some of American football’s most established honours, including the Maxwell Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bert Bell Award. In recent years, the organisation has expanded its remit to reflect structural shifts in the sport, including the rapid rise of girls’ flag football at high school level. Quinn was nominated for the honour by the Philadelphia Eagles as part of a nationwide selection process involving NFL franchises.
At Gwynedd Mercy Academy, Quinn has built a record that places her among the most productive and versatile players in the country. Over her high school career, she led her teams to a combined 30–3–2 record, including a championship title, two finals appearances and a Final Four finish. Her statistical output reflects influence on both sides of the ball, an increasingly valued trait in the flag football format.
Offensively, Quinn amassed 4,622 passing yards and 94 passing touchdowns, while adding 1,664 rushing yards and 22 rushing scores, setting multiple school records in the process. During the 2025 season, she guided her side through an unbeaten 13–0 campaign that culminated in a state championship. That season alone saw her account for 100 points, with 40 touchdown passes against just four interceptions.
Her defensive contribution has been similarly significant. Quinn recorded 210 career tackles and 18 sacks, both of which stand as school records, underlining her ability to influence games across multiple phases. Such all-round production has become a benchmark for elite performers in a sport that continues to evolve tactically and athletically.
Beyond school competition, Quinn has operated consistently at national level. She is a two-time member of the USA Football Junior National Team and was selected to the USA Football Select Bowl All-Tournament team. Her competitive experience also includes participation in the AAU Junior Olympics and World Championships, events that form part of the talent pipeline feeding into collegiate and national programmes.
Academically, Quinn has maintained a 3.8 grade point average and earned regular honour roll recognition. Her off-field activities include volunteering as a youth cheer and flag football coach, refereeing local leagues and chairing school-led food drives, reflecting the broader leadership criteria increasingly considered in national award selections.
Her profile will rise further in early 2026 when she takes part in the second annual NFL Flag Girls High School Showcase. The event forms part of the Pro Bowl Games festivities in the days leading up to Super Bowl LX and brings together 32 high school athletes from across the United States. Players compete on AFC- and NFC-branded all-star teams in a nationally televised contest scheduled for February 3, 2026, in San Francisco, California. The game will be broadcast by ESPN.
According to the Maxwell Football Club, finalists for the award were identified through a national evaluation process conducted in partnership with NFL clubs that submitted nominations throughout the autumn. The final selection was made by the club’s national selection staff, comprising leaders from girls’ flag football and women’s athletics programmes across the country.
The presentation of the award will take place at the 89th Maxwell Awards ceremony at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. For the Maxwell Football Club, the recognition of Quinn signals not only individual excellence, but also the continued commercial and developmental momentum of girls’ flag football as it secures a more prominent place within the global sports landscape.
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