After a successful girls flag football season, both Warren and Downey high schools opened the inaugural CIF-Southern Section playoffs with a win, but both lost in the second round Saturday (October 26) on their respective home fields.
History was made for the two schools with their first-round wins, with the first official CIF-Southern Section post season action.
In 2023 there were no playoffs with only an invite-only tournament sponsored by the L.A. Chargers.
This season, the number of teams increased greatly from the first year of CIF action.
Warren, which is in its second season of action, defeated host Beaumont, 27-26, in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs, but was shut out, 28-0, by visiting Woodbridge in the second round.
Downey, which was playing in its initial season, also won its first-round game in the CIF-SS D2 playoffs over host Westlake, 19-6, but lost in the second round, 6-0, to visiting Edison, 6-0.
The Bears (17-8), which were undefeated in the Gateway League with a perfect 8-0 record had been on an 8-game winning streak before their season-ending loss.
The All Gateway League players were just named, and both Downey and Warren are well represented. They are: MVP – Samantha Tinoco, SO (Warren); Offensive Player of the Year – Isabella Gonzalez, SO (Warren); First Team – Genesis Morales, SR. (Warren), Giselle Rivera, SR. (Warren); Katelyn Barron, SR. (Warren); Delilah Navarro, JR. (Downey); Chloe Cotton, JR. (Downey); Second Team – Amanda Velazquez, SR (Downey); Madeline Garcia, FR (Downey); Nataly Arevalo, SR. (Warren); Isabella Ponce, SR. (Warren).
In the thrilling first-round, one-point win for Warren, sophomore quarterback Isabella Gonzalez led with 320 yards passing and four touchdowns, while senior wide receiver Giselle Rivera had 86 receiving yards.
However, the play of the game was a fourth down stop of Beaumont which was driving for a go-ahead score. Highlighting the stop was a flag pull by senior linebacker Katelyn Barron on a fourth down play with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter.
“I was able to get the flag on that fourth down play to stop the drive,” Barron said. “That play was an amazing. I wanted to win.
“I played soccer my entire life and flag football has taught me what it is to love a sport.”
The Bears had a 13-7 halftime lead and built up a bigger lead in the second half with 14 points. But Beaumont made a come back with 14 second half points of its own.
“Offensively we were clicking and playing very well,” Warren coach Felipe Aguilar said. “We jammed out ahead and let them back late.”
Scoring touchdowns for the Bears was sophomore wide receiver Samantha Tinoco, senior Alyssa Bueno, senior wide receiver Giselle Rivera and senior wide receiver Natalia Campos.
In the second-round game and Warren trailing, 7-0 on an early touchdown by Woodbridge, two interceptions by the Warriors on three plays sent the Bears to a 21-0 deficit midway in the first half.
Prior to the first touchdown for an interception by Woodbridge, Barron had an interception of her own, but the Warriors came right back with two Int’s.
“It (the loss) does hurt, but we tried our hardest,” senior wide receiver Natalia Campos said. “Even though we lost, we still had a good season. We did really good. I’m really proud of all of my teammates.
Campos, who had never played high school sports at all until last season in the Bears’ first year in flag football, was glad to get some more chances on offense. “Sometimes I really don’t get the ball but getting the ball in my last game I felt really proud of myself.”
Warren coach Felipe Aguilar was also sad for the loss but knew how big it was for the school on the forming of the team last year.
“The character of this team was second to none and it hurts,” Aguilar said, of his team and the second-round loss in the playoffs. “These girls grew individually as a team, and they set the standard for our program.
“Moving forward for however many years, that’s the legacy this team is going to leave for this program.”
Downey, which played 25 games this season and finished with a 17-8 overall record, placed second behind Warren in the Gateway League with a 7-1 record. The Vikings won five of their last seven games.
In the second round loss to Edison, the defensive battle came down to a late TD by the Chargers.
Freshman quarterback Madeline Garcia led the way with 126 yards, completing 15 of 20 passes for Downey.
“I think for our first season this is huge for just having the opportunity to experience the competition on the various levels,” Downey coach Chuck Lozano said.
“For us it was really just setting the bar for what we want as a program developing our culture and really just teaching our girls to compete at a higher level.”
Vikings junior wide receiver Chloe Cotton caught five passes and broke up numerous passes defensively for the Vikings, while junior wide receiver Delilah Navarro caught five passes for 58 yards.
Both teams traded punts throughout the first half, which included a big sack by senior Cassidy Lewis.
After that sack on a fourth down attempt by the Chargers, the Vikings came close to taking an early lead as Garcia completed passes to Navarro, but the last one on that drive fell incomplete deep in Edison territory.
“Honestly, I’m just real proud of everybody,” Cotton said. “The team that I have is great and all the girls is a new experience. Juste being out here is a new experience, but I don’t take it for granted and appreciate it being out here.
“It’s a surprise to a lot of people and a growing sport and getting a lot of attention that the girls deserve.”
Edison made one last attempt at a score with just seconds left in the first half, but the catch was just short of the end zone.
Each team had three possessions in the second half, but all but one ended in a punting situation.
The last Edison drive with seven plays ended with a late touchdown by the Chargers with one minute left in the game.
However, one last drive by Downey in the final seconds of the game that could have tied or won the game ended with a catch by Navarro in what looked like a score but was just outside of the end zone.
Tears of disappointment by the young Downey team were seen by the first-year team.
“It’s very exciting to just get this far,” said Garcia, of the dramatic ending that was just missed. “I feel like this is a place that I can have fun and gets my mind off of everything.
“I’m happy that our season didn’t get cut off short and making it to the playoffs in the first year was good for us and I hope that we continue our program”
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