Newport Harbor faces JSerra in CIF flag football championship
The No. 4 ranked Sailors play the undefeated No. 1 ranked Lions at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in an attempt to end a 55-game winning streak.
By Yasmin Nasser ·
Newport Harbor and JSerra will meet at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Huntington Beach High for the CIF Southern Section Open Division flag football title. The contest pits the No. 4 ranked Sailors against the No. 1 ranked Lions, who are looking to extend a school record streak of 55 consecutive wins.
The matchup is a rematch of two earlier meetings this season that both teams lost. JSerra defeated Newport Harbor 23-6 in the final of the Chargers Invitational tournament and 21-6 to win the MaxPreps tournament. The Lions are 27-0 on the year, while the Sailors have a 23-4 record.
Newport Harbor reached the championship game by defeating Woodbridge 26-21. It is the second CIF title appearance for the Sailors in the three years the section has held playoffs. The team finished as co-champions of the Sunset League. JSerra won the Trinity League title and is the defending CIF champion.
The Lions feature two players who are on the USA Flag junior national team: quarterback Kate Meier and receiver/safety Tessa Russell. Meier has thrown for 7,128 yards and 95 touchdowns this season. Russell has accumulated 2,299 receiving yards and 33 scores. Only one team has scored within a touchdown of JSerra all year, when they beat Orange Lutheran 19-12 on Oct. 14.
Newport Harbor head coach Jason Guyser acknowledged the difficulty of the task. He noted that his team was missing top rushers Anna Paquette and G.G. Szczuka during the Orange Lutheran game. Guyser described the Lions as a team that would likely win nine out of ten matchups against the Sailors. He said the goal is to play their best game of the season and hope JSerra is not at its highest level.
Scarlett Guyser, the Sailors' junior quarterback, said the team is focusing on simple offensive execution. She noted that gaining five to seven yards per play is a successful outcome against a defense with highly athletic players. She said the strategy is to break down the defense play by play rather than attempting complex schemes.
The Sailors have a mix of experienced players and younger athletes. Three freshmen, Jordan Sanders, Emma Yokoi, and Sammy Palmer, have contributed to the roster. Yokoi has 12 touchdown catches, tying Skylie Cid for second on the team behind Blakely Irvine. Sanders has combined with Aliyah Chappell for 46 quarterback sacks.
Defensive captain Ashlyn Spicer leads the team with 125 flags pulled. She noted the challenge of facing a team they have already lost to twice. Chappell said the defense is focused and expects a close game. She predicted both teams would show good sportsmanship and strong competition.
The teams met at the CIF Southern Section Flag Football Press Conference and Luncheon on Wednesday at the Grand in Long Beach. Susie Spanos of the Los Angeles Chargers was the keynote speaker. The event included all 14 finalist teams from the section's various divisions. Newport Harbor players posed for a group photo with JSerra athletes after the event.
JSerra has defeated three Sunset League teams in a row during the playoffs. They beat Edison 39-7 in Pool A and Huntington Beach 34-6 in the semifinals. The Sailors prepare to face the Lions for the first time in a CIF title game since the section began holding playoffs.
