History will be made Saturday when the Southern Section crowns its first girls’ flag football champions at El Modena High’s Fred Kelly Stadium.
The prime-time matchup at 4:45 p.m. will feature No. 1-seeded Orange Lutheran against No. 2 Newport Harbor for the Division I title in a rematch of their regular-season meeting Aug. 24 in which the Lancers prevailed 28-12. Since then, the Sailors have reeled off 24 wins in a row, including a 12-7 triumph over Sunset League rival Huntington Beach in the semifinals.
There were no official CIF playoffs last season but Jason Guyser’s squad went 25-1 and ended up ranked first in California and third in the nation. Many key players are back, including receiver/defensive backs Maddy Michel and Audrey Burns and linebackers Paige Shanahan and Ella Woods.
Meanwhile, the Lancers (22-2), coached by Kristen Sherman, boast an opportunistic secondary that has picked off 59 passes this year — the last three of which came in a 19-6 semifinal victory over Anaheim Canyon. Sophomore Josie Anderson leads the way with nine interceptions.
Fans will also be treated to a head-to-head duel between two of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the Southland in Orange Lutheran sophomore Makena Cook and Newport Harbor senior Maia Helmar. Both can run and pass the ball with equal aplomb and are leaders for their respective teams.
The day begins with an All-Orange County matchup in Division 3 pitting San Clemente against Troy at 9:30 a.m. and if their two previous meetings are any indication, it could be decided on the last possession. On Sept. 3 the Warriors won 31-25 and on Oct. 1 the teams tied 31-31. The Tritons (12-10-1) are led by quarterback Kirra Calvijo (67 scoring passes) while Troy (16-3-3) is riding a 15-game unbeaten streak.
Next at 11:15 a.m. will be the Division 4 final between Fullerton (18-6) and Ocean League champion Santa Monica (13-6) while Antelope Valley (12-6) will play Northview (12-8) for the Division 5 title at 1 p.m. The Division 2 final between Northwood (18-6) and Trabuco Hills (17-3) at 2:45 p.m. could be a high-scoring affair.
Championship Saturday also includes a No. 1 versus No. 2 clash to decide the Southern Section Division 1 crown in girls’ volleyball at Cerritos College. No. 1-seeded Sierra Canyon (32-4) takes on defending champion Mater Dei (34-4) at 7 p.m. after both schools won their respective four-team pools.
The Trinity League champions downed Sierra Canyon 2-0 at the Durango Fall Classic in September and are paced by USC commit Layli Ostovar and Orange Lutheran transfer Westley Matavao. The Mission League champion Trailblazers counter with Florida A&M-bound Brandi Boston and University of San Diego-bound Lauren Lynch.
Earlier at Cerritos College, Palos Verdes (23-8) will try to capture its first section title when it takes on Murrieta Valley (27-7) in the Division 2 final at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Division 3 matchup between Bishop Diego (26-7) and Long Beach Poly (27-12) at 3 p.m. Bell Gardens (18-18) and Garden Grove (17-19) meet in the Division 8 final at 10 a.m.
The top two seeds will also meet for the City Section Open Division girls’ volleyball title at 6 p.m. at Cal State Northridge. West Valley League champion Taft, the No. 1 seed, is seeking its sixth City title but its first in the Open Division. Western League champion and second-seeded Venice (35-4) is vying for its fourth City crown and second in the Open Division. The teams did not meet in the regular season. Taft (39-7) is unbeaten versus City opponents.
LACES (18-13) faces Western League rival University (21-14-2) for the Division I crown at 3:15 p.m.
