Girls Flag Football Coach Brennon Peters said, “She [Quarterback Superstar Kianna Lefear] is the engine that drives this train.” Though girls flag football only came to UC when Lefear was a sophomore, she has done an outstanding job in quickly shaping the team to become the competitive powerhouse it is now.
As both a quarterback and team captain, Lefear plays a leadership role on and off the field. “The team dynamic is family. Kianna is one of our captains, so it’s her responsibility to keep the family dynamic strong,” said Peters.
Playing good football requires a good team dynamic, and indeed, Lefear seems to be doing quite the job. With a 10-6 overall team record, UC’s team is doing very well right now, as it is currently third in the League.
With the intensity of the sport and its team-based format, it’s only natural that players will form friendships with one another. Lefear said, “My favorite part is definitely the bonding that happens and meeting and playing with new people every year. Making the big plays and celebrating is definitely what makes this sport fun to play.”
Lefear stands out the most in her energy and ability to get her team to synergize with one another to make plays. “Kianna has the most sense of urgency. She takes the initiative to rally the troops,” said Peters.
Lefear’s teammate, Senior Avi Schorr, concurred on her abilities to bring the team together. Schorr said, “She brings people together by somewhat telling them what to do but making sure they know they are doing a good job at the same time. It’s very helpful and makes you feel more confident on the field.”
While the team is quite good, Lefear herself is practically a one-woman army. She plays as quarterback, and defensive back when on defense. So far this season, she has 2037 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 86 tackles. These stats rank her far above the national average, and in the top 25 for both passing yards and tackles in the CIF San Diego Section (maxpreps.com).
As a player, Kianna leaves it all out on the field. “Kianna’s style of play is to go big or go home. She likes to go all out, whether she’s on defense trying to get a flag, or on offense trying to get the ball far down field so we can score points,” said Schorr.
Flag football may be thought of as primarily a physical game of athletic dominance; however, this is not entirely the case. Mentality is huge, and Lefear stated that the game has taught her a lot in this regard. “I think flag football has taught me to be smart and more patient. When someone is rushing you, you have to make sure they don’t… get in your head and mess you up,” said Lefear.
Lefear’s mental growth from her experience in the sport has also made a big impression on her teammates. Schorr said, “She’s best at keeping calm under pressure, as playing quarterback is a very hard position and she has never freaked out when playing. Even if she messes up, she doesn’t let it get her down and she goes and tries even harder to fix her mistakes.”
Lefear’s main role model is UC Alumnus Jalen Lefear, her older brother who graduated in 2020. Lefear said, “A lot of the staff remember who he was and what kind of athlete he was. He was always hard working at whatever he did, and I saw that growing up. But I also wanted to be better than him, and that’s what pushed me to be the kind of athlete that I am.”
Since this is her senior year, Lefear hopes her legacy will also be remembered once she graduates. Lefear said, “I would like to think that I would be very memorable as a person with lots of energy, and a good leader and someone that this team can look up to.”
Ultimately, her goal is just for the team to improve. She said, “My goal for the season was to be better than we were these past two seasons, which, the way we’re playing, we definitely will.” Given Lefear’s dedication to her team, leadership ability, and skill on the field, reaching this goal seems definite.