"I just feel like I had a good game," was the understatement of the century by Mountain Vista High School senior Ariana Akey.
Coming off a perfect 19-0 season with the Golden Eagles and a state championship, Akey proved her flag football prowess is not bound by state lines.
She was named the MVP at the 2026 NFL girls high school flag football showcase at the Pro Bowl in San Francisco, California.
"It was really surreal," Akey said. "I really was proud, and I think my parents hopefully were proud [too]. I was thankful for the opportunity to be able to play with those other girls — that was the biggest takeaway I’ll have."
Akey's MVP moment isn't a finish line, but it's pretty far from where she started.
“I remember being in first or second grade and telling my parents I wanted to play football in college," Akey said. "They said that’s probably not going to happen, maybe focus on a different sport. After the Pro Bowl, I got an email from one of my teachers in elementary school. She mentioned that when I was little I used to say [I wanted to play flag football]. That was really emotional for me, seeing that little me could fulfill her dreams.”
She hasn't yet picked a university, but after high school Akey will play college flag football — and someday she may even play in the Olympics when flag football is added to the games in 2028.
But more importantly, after college she intends to enter the Peace Corps.
Even as a MVP, Akey is always thinking about others.
"[I want to] continue building opportunities for girls," Akey said. "Building interest builds opportunities. In my family, the biggest thing we’ve been taught is that you’re a good person first. You need to try and respect everyone else. Just because you have a platform doesn’t make you more important, or your time any more important than anyone else.”
Akey graduates from MVHS this spring, and much like her high school mascot, that's when her ambitions will truly take flight.
