Peoria Liberty junior quarterback Marlie Phillips will have to sit out the first six games of the upcoming flag football season after the Arizona Interscholastic Association denied her transfer appeal, Phillips confirmed to The Arizona Republic.
Phillips transferred to Liberty in the offseason after two seasons at Chandler Hamilton, where she went 38-0 as a starter and helped lead the Huskies to consecutive 6A state championships in 2024 and '25.
Phillips is ranked the No. 1 high school flag football quarterback in the state by The Arizona Republic in its 2026 preseason player rankings last month.
Phillips, who lives in Youngtown but attended Hamilton under the state's open enrollment law, was seeking an appeal to play right away instead of sitting the first part of the season as normally required by the AIA transfer rule.
Liberty opens the season Sept. 15 against Cactus Canyon. Phillips’ debut for Liberty will come on Oct. 15 against Scottsdale Christian Academy at the Fiesta Bowl Copper State Invitational. Her first AIA game will be on Oct. 20 at home against Gilbert.
During her short time in high school, Phillips has established herself as one of the most decorated flag football players in Arizona prep history. Phillips threw for 6,079 yards and 104 touchdowns in the 2025 season, both state records. She is the first and only player from the state to throw 100 touchdowns in a season, and was one of just six quarterbacks in the nation to do so last year.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley atlogan.stanley@usatodayco.comor 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Top-ranked Arizona flag football QB will have to sit part of season