Newport Harbor flag football seeks an upset of JSerra in CIF title game
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Players from the Newport Harbor and JSerra girls’ flag football teams posed together for a group picture after Wednesday’s CIF Southern Section Flag Football Press Conference and Luncheon, held at the Grand in Long Beach.
Earlier this season, they came out with arms interlocked prior to playing in the final of the inaugural MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown in San Diego.
“[Tournament organizers] told us no, and we still did it anyway,” Newport Harbor senior linebacker Ashlyn Spicer said. “We all linked up with a JSerra player.”
JSerra is top-ranked in the country, and Newport Harbor is ranked No. 4. The mutual respect between the programs is clear, but it will be a different environment on the field in the Open Division title game.
The Sailors (23-4) play the Lions (27-0) for the title at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Huntington Beach High.
It’s the second CIF title game for Newport Harbor in the three years that the section has conducted playoffs. But the Sunset League co-champion Sailors come in as clear underdogs against a Trinity League champion JSerra team that not only is the defending CIF champion, but has won 55 total games in a row.
JSerra has a pair of USA Flag junior national team members in quarterback Kate Meier and receiver/safety Tessa Russell. Meier has thrown for 7.128 yards and 95 touchdowns this season, while Russell has 2,299 receiving yards and 33 scores.
The Lions are also 2-0 against the Sailors this season, beating them 23-6 in the final of the Chargers Invitational tournament and 21-6 to win the MaxPreps tournament. Only one team has played JSerra to within a touchdown this season.
The Lions beat Orange Lutheran 19-12 on Oct. 14, but Newport Harbor coach Jason Guyser said they were missing top rushers Anna Paquette and G.G. Szczuka.
“There’s no question, it’s a huge mountain to climb,” Guyser said. “It’s one of those things where if you played them 10 times, they would almost for sure beat you nine times. What you’re hoping is that this is the one out of 10, where you play your best game of the season and maybe they play a good game but not at their highest level.”
JSerra is looking to beat its third Sunset League team in a row on its way to the title. The Lions beat Edison 39-7 in Pool A, then co-league champion Huntington Beach 34-6 in the Open Division semifinals.
“We’re trying to work on things that can maybe break them down,” Newport Harbor junior quarterback Scarlett Guyser said. “We know they have super-athletic girls, and they might try to man-mark us, but even 5 to 7 yards per play, that’s a win for the offense. It’s just breaking them down play by play, instead of trying to do fancy stuff. I feel like that will come to our advantage.”
The Sailors enjoyed attending Wednesday’s luncheon for all 14 section finalist teams across even different divisions. Susie Spanos of the Los Angeles Chargers was the keynote speaker.
Newport Harbor, which gutted out a 26-21 win over Woodbridge to make the title game, has a mix of younger and more experienced players. Three freshmen — Jordan Sanders, Emma Yokoi and Sammy Palmer — have made an impact this season.
Yokoi has 12 touchdown catches, tied for second on the team with Skylie Cid behind Blakely Irvine. Sanders has combined with Aliyah Chappell for 46 quarterback sacks.
“We came together really quickly,” Scarlett Guyser said. “Back in August, we were already super-close after maybe three weeks of practice. I just think it’s really impressive that we can work as a team so well … That’s a really important part. Rather than just having athletic people, it’s being able to trust each other and work together on and off the field.”
The Sailors are now back in the big game. And even though they have their work cut out for them, they feel that they’re up to the challenge. Spicer, a defensive captain who leads the team with 125 flags pulled, noted that it’s hard to beat a good team three times.
Chappell agreed.
“I think we’re ready,” she said. “Our defense is locked in, and I think it will be a good game, and definitely close … I think it’s going to be a hard game, but I also think it’s going to be a good game. I think we’re both going to come out with a lot of great sportsmanship, but also a lot of great competition as well.”
