Here’s a look at the Los Angeles Daily News area’s flag football picture as teams enter October play with league competition in full swing.
Newbury Park
The competitive Marmonte League features a repeat of last season’s top teams, with Newbury Park holding a 6-1 league record through Tuesday. Agoura and Westlake are right on the tails, but the Panthers gave the Chargers their first league loss of the season, while Westlake gave the Panthers their first loss.
It’s a carousal that looks to come down to the wire once again. Greta Heath currently has 26 passing touchdowns, while London Lefler is averaging 82 receiving yards per game to go with her 12 total touchdowns, and both helped lead a 57-0 victory over Calabasas on senior night.
“It’s been a great season so far,” said Panthers coach Steven Wood. “We played a tough schedule in the beginning to get us ready for a difficult league schedule. Senior night was an amazing experience. We used a lineup unlike what we normally use for our offense, and it was incredible to see how they stepped up. Maya Garza is a senior who normally plays second or third string, and she recorded a pick-6 and nearly had a touchdown on offense as well. We’re keeping the girls motivated, and they want the league title badly.”
Agoura
While the Chargers lost to Newbury Park, they also hold a 6-1 league record. They will have a chance to catch the Panthers with a rematch on Oct. 9. The Chargers have their hands full, but Izzy Greene is averaging over 115 total yards per game with 17 total touchdowns on the season, and Claire Heisinger has 60 passing touchdowns.
The Chargers took care of business against Westlake, winning both matchups with a combined score of 54-13.
Westlake
The Warriors have a new coach leading the program, but Mike Eames is no stranger to success. Despite dropping two games to Agoura, Westlake gave Newbury Park its first league loss.
The Wolverines currently sit at 5-2 in Marmonte League play. Although they won’t play the Chargers again, they have a chance for a series sweep against the Panthers and to close the gap for the top of the Marmonte League.
Birmingham
Since the inaugural season, Birmingham has been the standard of girls’ flag football in the area. The Patriots didn’t lose a game in their first two seasons until a City Section Open Division first-round meeting against Verdugo Hills.
The Patriots lost their second game in program history to Kennedy on September 11th in a back-to-back matchup. Despite the loss, the Patriots still sit at 4-1 on the season and aim to return to the level of success they have been accustomed to.
Verdugo Hills
While the Patriots are barely getting their footing in on the season, the Dons have dove right in and are currently 4-0 in East Valley League play (9-3 overall). The Dons were unable to reach championship glory last season, despite beating the Patriots. However, with new motivation, the Dons have serious momentum to make some noise in the postseason.
A reworked East Valley League also provides more competition to help prepare the Dons for the postseason, as they are currently tied with Arleta for first place.
“In our league, we’re doing alright. We have three new teams, which is awesome for our conference,” said Dons coach Darren Fitzgerald. “Every school in our league has a team. I’m suspecting there is still a learning phase, so hopefully we continue to play well and get back-to-back league champs. We had quite a few girls out, but our defense remains solid. We’re kind of still the same as last year, and the new girls like Lauren Brink have really stepped it up, filling in for injured girls on our roster.”
El Camino Real
Playing in the West Valley League with the Patriots is El Camino Real, which is coming off a Division 2 City Section championship in its inaugural season.
As it stands, the Royals hold a 3-2-1 overall record.
Notre Dame
Former Westlake coach Brandon Alexander went to Notre Dame to start the girls’ flag football program. His experience running the program at Westlake has started him off on the right track, as the Knights are currently 4-0 in Mission League play.
The Knights could emulate the Royals’ success by winning in their inaugural season as a program. The season is quickly winding down, with all eyes fixed on the postseason.
Hart
In the revamped Foothill League, Hart is at the top with a 10-1 league record, with its only loss coming from West Ranch. Last season, the Hawks were undefeated in league play at 9-0.
With a target on their backs, the Hawks are right back to where they started, but the Wildcats are right on their tails. Both will face off one last time on Oct. 8.
“As of late, we’ve been doing pretty well,” said Hawks coach Josh Masmela. “With some holidays we’ve had to observe, I’m proud of the girls being able to bounce back from those breaks. It’s about us understanding who we are as a team and minimizing our mistakes. Before playing Golden Valley, we reminded the girls that they had beaten Westlake, and to win the league title, we had to beat everyone in our league. Once we secure our goals in the league, that’s when we shift our goals towards the playoffs.”
West Ranch
The Wildcats finished last season with a 5-4 record in Foothill League play. Currently, they are 8-2, just two games behind the Hawks for first place.
Vasquez is not too far behind, but the final games are setting up to decide the winner of the Foothill League between the Wildcats and the Hawks. All eyes will be on their final matchup of the season, with both teams having aspirations for a league title and a deep Southern Section playoffs run.