From substitution to superstar: Isla Collins takes off as flag football sensation

One day at a tournament, Kane’s team was short on players. Isla and several other younger kids became plug-and-play additions to the lineup. Little did the Collins family know that a simple substitution into a flag football game would take off into something incredible.

Now a sophomore at Salpointe Catholic, Collins is one of the most accomplished flag football players in the country, boasting an incredibly expansive and impressive resume. Collins has racked up accolades such as MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year, first-team All-American, 4A Conference Player of the Year at two positions and is a member of the Team USA U17 National Team.

Collins led the Lancers to their first-ever Class 4A title in flag football last season, throwing for 2,432 yards at a 75.6% completion rate and 47 touchdowns. She rushed for 966 yards and 12 scores, and caught a touchdown at her natural position, receiver. As the centerpiece of the Salpointe squad, Collins aims to lead her squad to back-to-back championships, but at a personal level, continue to progress through her international career with the hopes of one day representing the United States at the Olympics.

“That’s easily the dream for me,” she said, beaming. “(Representing the U.S.) has been the highlight of my flag football career so far.”

Collins’ dream has been years in the making. As an 8-year-old, she helped her team win an NFL Flag National Championship at the 10U level, competing on a team with both boys and girls. On such a big stage at a young age, Collins didn’t fully grasp the magnitude of her achievement; she just knew she was thriving in a game she had quickly fallen in love with.

Lancers coach Barrie Pedersen has been around for much of Collins’ development. Pedersen initially met the young flag star while coaching one of his son’s teams. Collins became a de facto babysitter for Pedersen’s youngest son, while also proving herself on the gridiron at the same tournaments her future coach was attending. He remembers quickly recognizing how strongly Collins could hold her own against girls and boys from a young age.

“She used to play with the boys back in those days and she would dominate them at that age, no problem,” Pedersen said. “That’s when I really first heard of and got to know Isla.”

Eventually, Pedersen coached Collins around age 10, and she emerged as the best player on the roster, regardless of gender. As Collins got older, girls flag football began to expand, opening up more opportunities to travel for tournaments. Collins joined Tucson Turf, the nationally recognized club program founded by Toby Bourguet, which Pedersen coaches for.

By the time Salpointe announced it was launching its inaugural girls flag football program for Arizona Interscholastic Association competition for 2025, Collins had already spent years building an accomplished foundation that would lead to her becoming the natural centerpiece for the Lancers.

With expansive interest in the program from the jump, Collins and teammates Aliyah Adger and Elliana Salazar approached Pedersen to ask if he would consider coaching the program, something which the now-Lancers’ coach remembers vividly.

“I remember sitting on the field and those three came up to me and asked if I would be interested in coaching the team,” Pedersen recalled. “When you have girls that you’ve coached for years, that you’ve been around and have a lot of admiration for, and they ask you to do something — it’s very difficult to say no.

“That conversation had a very big impact on me and my decision to pursue the job.”

Pedersen landed the job and took the Lancers to a 16-1 season and a 4A state title, becoming the first team in Southern Arizona to win an AIA girls flag football state championship with Collins at quarterback.

The only issue? Quarterback isn’t Collins’ first position.

Collins starred for her club and international teams as a receiver, but out of necessity, she was thrust under center as the team’s best playmaker. Despite the challenges of adapting to a new position, Collins turned herself into one of the state’s best dual-threat quarterbacks and did so only as a freshman. Collins threw for over 200 yards in four games and rushed for 120-plus yards in each of Salpointe’s last three games in the playoffs.

In the 17-0 win over Eastmark in the 4A title game, Collins was 13 for 18 through the air for 113 yards and rushed 16 times for 125 yards and both of the Lancers’ touchdowns.

“We knew we were getting a special player with Isla,” Pedersen said. “There’s no doubt about that. What I didn’t realize was that we were going to have to put her at quarterback. But man, she’s really embraced it.”

In the season opener against Tucson High, Collins was 15 for 22 for 251 yards and five touchdowns through the air. She also rushed four times for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

“She’s really embraced her role at that position,” her coach added. “She’s starting to learn the mechanics of the passing side of the game because everyone knows she is an athlete and will stress out every defense with her running ability.”

“If we can stress defenses out with that running ability and her growing ability to throw, we could potentially be one of the top programs in the state for the next couple of years. I already feel like we are right there.”

On top of Collins’ prowess on the gridiron, she’s also incredibly popular among her teammates and sharp in the classroom. She possesses a 4.0 GPA and constantly flashes a smile when talking amongst her peers.

While talking with the Arizona Daily Star for this article after Thursday’s 50-0 drubbing of Mountain View, Collins stood with her back turned to her team, who secretly lined up behind her and facilitated a Chick-fil-A-themed homecoming dance proposal. Halfway through the interview, Collins turned around to raucous applause and admiration from her teammates and friends before, of course, accepting her classmate’s creative offering.

“She is very well-liked at school and very well-liked by her teammates; they absolutely love her,” Pedersen said. “She was voted a captain as a freshman by the team and again as a sophomore… At tournaments, everyone knows her and loves her. She has such a fun personality to be around.”

“She’s very nice, but when she gets on the field, there’s not a ton nice about her. She’s really good at being able to flip that competitive switch from the person everyone wants to be around to the person that is a fierce competitor on the field.”

With this season and two more to play in her high school career, plus plenty of tournaments and opportunities at the club and international levels, Collins has many, many more flag football accolades ahead of her in the coming years. And to think it all started because her brother’s team was a few players short.

“I’d say I’m most proud of being a member of the Team USA U17 National Team and last year’s state championship, but I will play anywhere and I can’t wait for what’s next.”

Fast Five with Isla

Who’s your favorite football player?

Lamar Jackson.

And your favorite football team?

The Baltimore Ravens.

If you could add any player from any sport of any gender to the Salpointe flag football team, who would you add and why?

Bijan Robinson; he’s a Lancer!

What’s your favorite class in school?

Chemistry.

Do you have any pre-game superstitions?

I always have to pray.