Copyright Los Angeles Times
It’s the girls’ flag football game of the year, and it’s happening in the Southern Section Division 1 championship game on at 7 p.m. Saturday at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange. JSerra is 27-0. Orange Lutheran, the defending Division 1 champion, is 24-2, with both losses to JSerra. Can the Lions beat a terrific Orange Lutheran team three times in a season? Quarterback Makena Cook and her Lancer teammates certainly have learned lessons from the last two matchups. Cook had four passes intercepted in an 18-7 loss the first time the two teams met. She was better in a 21-20 loss. She will try to spread the ball to more targets and avoid turnovers. JSerra has a group of freshmen who have lived up to expectations as future stars. Tessa Russell had three interceptions in a semifinal win over Dos Pueblos. Freshman quarterback Kate Meier and sophomore quarterback Ava Van Heerde have successfully taken turns to lead the offense. Freshman receiver Ava Irwin has been catching passes like her brother, Trent, who plays for the New York Jets. While JSerra’s 11-man football program is undergoing turmoil and looking for a new coach, the girls’ team is on the verge of a perfect season. There are six championship games on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. as the Southern Section finishes off its second season of having sanctioned flag football championship games for girls. The sport keeps becoming more and more popular with top athletes from other sports joining teams, raising the quality of play and exciting fans watching the speed and talent on display.
