Newbury Park celebrate with head coach Steve Wood, right, after beating Yorba Linda 21-20 in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park’s Brooklyn Batty (5) celebrates breaking up an extra point attempt by Yorba Linda in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park’s Kimiko Carmer runs the ball against Yorba Linda in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park celebrates beating Yorba Linda 21-20 in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park’s Allison Galler runs past Yorba Linda’s Allison Jochum for a touchdown in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Yorba Linda’s Cienna Olson scores a touchdown after a pass reception as Newbury Park’s Greta Heath, left, defends in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park quarterback Greta Heath passes under pressure from Yorba Linda’s Megan Tia in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park’s Greta Heath (2) stops Yorba Linda quarterback Allison Jochum in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park’s Lily Cohen, left, and Catherine Oliver celebrate beating Yorba Linda 21-20 in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Yorba Linda’s Cienna Olson (35) tries for an extra point as Newbury Park’s Allison Galler defends in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park’s London Lefler celebrates her extra point pass reception to take the lead against Yorba Linda in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Yorba Linda quarterback Allison Jochum has her flagged pulled by Newbury Park’s Josephine Falt in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park head coach Steve Wood talks to his players during their game against Yorba Linda in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park’s London Lefler, center, runs after a pass reception as Yorba Linda’s Maddie Maurer (42) closes in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park players celebrate a touchdown against Yorba Linda in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Yorba Linda’s Cienna Olson catches a pass against her face as Newbury Park’s Greta Heath defends in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park head coach Steve Wood watches from the sidelines against Yorba Linda in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
Newbury Park’s Lily Cohen tries to evade Yorba Linda defenders after a pass reception in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
1 of 18
Newbury Park celebrate with head coach Steve Wood, right, after beating Yorba Linda 21-20 in the first round of the flag football CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at Newbury Park. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker, contributing photographer)
It’s win or go home in the CIF Southern Section single-elimination girls flag football playoffs. Newbury Park was not ready to go home and showed it was ready to move on with a win against Yorba Linda.
The Panthers took down the visiting Mustangs, 21-20, on Tuesday in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs.
The Panthers (14-7) advance to the second round Saturday and will travel to face Esperanza.
For now, the Panthers get to enjoy their first playoff win, which comes in the first year of the CIF-SS girls flag football playoffs.
“I feel on top of the world right now,” said Panthers head coach Steven Wood. “What a great, hard-fought match against a great opponent. They were evenly matched to be a one-point game and that’s what the playoffs are all about. Now we’ve got to get ready for Saturday.”
The Panthers’ first drive of the game resulted in an easy score. More impressively, Greta Heath completed five passes to five different receivers on the first drive, which led to the game’s first touchdown.
Heath ended her night with 216 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.
Heath’s top receiver, Lily Johnson, finished with eight catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was a nerve-wracking game,” said Heath. “We had energy and we played with intensity and that’s why we got into the end zone. The first half we tend to play nervous and in the second half we get to full speed, but for our next match I want us to get to full speed from the start.”
The Mustangs (10-6-1) did all they could to hang on and went into halftime tied 14-14.
On their first possession coming out of halftime, the Mustangs managed to drive down the field but a strong goal-line stop spearheaded by Brooklyn Batty kept Yorba Linda from scoring.
Yorba Linda did score later in the second half to take a 20-14 lead with nine minutes left to put some pressure on the Panthers.
Newbury Park handled the pressure well.
Another methodical drive led to Heath tossing her third touchdown pass of the night to tie the score at 20-20. Heath then added the conversion pass to take the lead 21-20.
The Panthers needed one more stop to ice the game and that’s exactly what they did.
With 1:22 left to go in the game, the Panthers got the stop they need to head into the second round.
“I see the quarterback turning her shoulders at me but I had everything under control,” said Batty of her fourth-down end zone stop. “I just needed to swat the ball down and that’s what I did. We’ve got to continue staying disciplined moving forward if we want to keep these results.”