Varsity flag football players cheer after a successful play. The players celebrated Senior Night on Oct. 6. Photo courtesy of Anna Scipione.
The varsity flag football team (3-1) took to the Ed Burke Stadium to battle San Dieguito Academy (1-3) on Monday evening. Spirits were high and energy was up, as it was also the team’s Senior Night, where they honored seniors. The Falcons, fueled by the excitement and camaraderie of the festivities, secured a victory of 26-6.
The girls began the evening by decorating the head varsity coach and Educational Specialist/Modified Academic Program teacher Ryland Wickman’s classroom and presenting posters and gifts to each senior. The Falcons took the celebration to the field, where fans and parents watched the seniors receive flowers and individual recognition while walking under the cardinal and gold balloon banner. Once the bittersweet festivities ended, the girls laced up their cleats, put in their mouthguards and took to the field.
Within the first minute, the Falcon defense forced the Mustangs to turn over the possession, indicative of their solid play throughout the game. The offensive starting line-up drew their positions and ran their routes precisely, allowing for a touchdown by Catherine Tonelli in the first two and a half minutes of the game. Running back, Alexa Avila (11) secured the extra point and the defensive players took the field once more. They fought hard, guarding and pulling flags but eventually, the Mustangs scored a touchdown, making the score 7-6 with the Falcons in the lead.
Izzie Dieter (9) connected a short pass to Avila, who dodged Mustang players, making an impressive 30-yard run. This momentum benefited the team as Dieter launched a ball in the endzone where Riley Cullivan (12) caught it, scoring a touchdown, giving the Falcons a 13-6 lead after the first 12-minute quarter.
The second quarter was stagnant up until the final 10 seconds, when Dieter hurled a 40-yard pass to Mina Crouch (12), who maneuvered around the Mustang defense into the endzone. This completed the first half of the game, with the Falcons up 20-6.
The team came out strong in the third quarter with a 70-yard run, once again delivered by Avila, getting a touchdown in the first 15 seconds.
Both teams’ defenses in the fourth quarter were solid, and there was a notable play by defensive player Reese Rohrbach (12), who got the first and only interception of the game. The final whistle blew and the team came together, cheering and celebrating their 26-6 victory.
“It feels great to get back on a winning streak,” Wickman said. “It’s always good to win a league game. Going into [the game], the mindset was to have some fun, make our reads, and play Falcon football.”
The Falcons recently lost against San Marcos, so this win got the team back on track to excel in the Avocado league, where they are currently ranked 2nd.
“SDA had some quick girls, so we had to make some adjustments on defense,” Wickman said. “Some standouts [in the game were our] offense coming out and almost immediately scoring a touchdown. I put in some new tactics on offense, so it’s nice to see the girls pick it up and put it in action on the field.”
While the Mustang running back was quick, she was often unable to get past key defensive players: Kyla Crist (11), Natalie Moore (12) and Kate Flynn (12), who dominated in tackling.
“We didn’t know what to expect tonight, so the strategy was to come out strong no matter what,” Tonelli said. “We all had good spirits and attitudes and I think this win motivates us to keep going.”
There was immense energy on the field, the sideline and the stands with constant cheering, dancing and high fives. The team focused and amplified the intensity when needed, but also showed a lot of support for each other.
“We showed out for Senior Night and I feel like we all really bonded,” Tonelli said. “It was awesome how the underclassmen supported and appreciated us and made us feel at home. We’re such a strong team and we all shed happy tears.”
The tight-knit team, immense support from fans, tactical strategies and athleticism were the fundamental factors that led to the victory and allowed the team to happily reflect on the night.
“Senior Night was so good,” Avila said. “We are so proud of our seniors and everyone played so well. We love all of them and are very sad to see them go. It feels like family.”
The Falcons are heading into their next game against Poway High School on Oct. 14 with confidence and morale from this win and sentimental night.
“It was a great Senior Night with a great crowd,” Wickman said. “We have a lot of seniors, and honestly, this night often scares me as a coach because of all the distractions, but they did amazing.”