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LAKE FOREST — Newport Harbor’s girls flag football team displayed a trait Saturday that could prove valuable in the inaugural CIF-SS playoffs next month:
Composure.
The No. 2 Sailors overcame two early deficits against No. 8 Huntington Beach in the finals of the SoCal Showdown and defended their title with a 27-13 victory at El Toro High.
The deficits were the first for Newport Harbor (18-2) at the 24-team event sponsored by Showdown Series.
“You can’t let one score being down (affect you),” said Sailors coach Jason Guyser, whose team extended its winning to 17 games. “It may be a shock to your system when you’re used to being in the lead but I think these girls all understand, (teams) are going to score on you, especially on this kind of (shortened) field (format).”
“Every top team was here, other than OLu (Orange Lutheran) and St. Joseph,” the coach added. “The competition was really good.”
Newport Harbor flag getting its just due from El Toro coach Nate Williams, who runs a great tourney pic.twitter.com/vFiM801Qrd
— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) September 28, 2024
Senior Maia Helmar led Newport Harbor’s rally by tossing four touchdowns, including about a 30-yarder to a leaping Cooper Dick in the end zone to cap the scoring late in the second half. Dick, a junior who made two spectacular catches over defenders, was selected tournament MVP.
Huntington Beach (15-7) and QB Roxie Shaia led 7-0 and 13-7 in the first half.
“Huntington is a really good team. They put up a hard fight for sure,” Dick said of the Oilers, who handed Santa Margarita its first loss in the semifinals. “Their defense was really good. It was hard to get by them but Maia was throwing perfect throws to us, and that’s what helped us win.”
Added Helmar, “I trust my receivers, especially Cooper on all those high-point balls. Cooper, without a doubt, can head-top anyone.”
Late in the first half, a long connection between Helmar and Dick set up a short TD strike from Helmar to Abigail George. The Sailors converted the extra-point to take a 14-13 lead.
Newport Harbor’s Audrey Burns grabbed the Sailors’ first interception before halftime.
Helmar capped the opening possession of the second half with another short TD pass George as the Sailors took a 20-13 lead.
After defensive stands up both teams — including a diving INT by Helmar at linebacker — a controversial play occurred in the middle of the second half.
Shaia, a sophomore, lofted about a 15-yard pass to Taylor Savage on the side of the end zone. Savage, a junior, made the grab but was ruled out of bounds as the Oilers’ sideline erupted in protest.
“Bang, bang (play),” Huntington Beach coach Zach Pannell said. “I thought it was a TD. It was a good defensive play because those girls rallied pretty darn well but I think once our girl had possession, I think she got one foot in. But that’s me. The referees obviously saw different.”
“That’s sports,” he added.
Newport Harbor responded with the long TD pass from Helmar to Dick to seal the victory.
Shaia tossed six TDs in the 39-19 victory against Santa Margarita. In the final, she connected in the first half with Kate Ross and Morgan Drotter on scoring passes.
The section playoff pairings will be announced Oct. 19.
