A pick-six with 58 seconds left ended Maize South's flag football season Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Shawnee Mission South returned an interception for a touchdown to steal a 27-26 quarterfinal victory over the Mavericks, the Wichita area's only qualifier for the inaugural Kansas high school girls flag football state tournament. KSN reported the Mavericks led 14-13 at halftime and held the lead through the entire second half until that final interception.
Maize South had one last chance. That drive ended in an interception, too.
The No. 7-seeded Mavericks entered the quarterfinals at 10-2, facing an unbeaten No. 2 Shawnee Mission South squad that carried a 10-0 record, according to USA Today's Week 6 state rankings.
The loss stings for a program that made history just three days earlier. Maize South won the regional championship 13-12 over Lawrence Free State on Saturday, Oct. 10, when sophomore Taylor Hansen knocked down a desperation pass as time expired, the Wichita Eagle reported. That win made the Mavericks the only Wichita-area team in the state tournament field.
Coach Matt Kerr, reflecting on the regional win, told the Eagle the moment "was just pure jubilation."
Maize South played in the 2025 pilot season under Kerr and returned several players from last year's team. That squad went undefeated in the regular season before a 12-6 loss to Baldwin in the unsanctioned postseason, the Eagle reported. The experience shaped a roster that featured multi-sport athletes including state champion wrestler Krislynn Martinez at running back and basketball player Karli Harden directing the offense.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) sanctioned girls flag football in April with a 61-1 board vote. Kansas became the 18th state to recognize it as an official high school sport.
State semifinals and championship come to Wichita
The tournament moves to Wichita for its final day. The KSHSAA state semifinals and championship game will be held Saturday, Oct. 17, at Stryker Sports Complex.
The semifinal matchups: Shawnee Mission West faces St. Thomas Aquinas, and Shawnee Mission South meets St. James Academy. Semifinals begin at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., with the third-place game at 3 p.m. and the championship at 5 p.m.
