Newport Harbor flag football enjoys setting precedent at CIF luncheon
It isn’t an exaggeration to say the Newport Harbor High girls’ flag football team is on the precipice of history.
The No. 2-seeded Sailors play top-seeded Orange Lutheran for the sport’s first CIF Southern Section Division 1 title on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. at El Modena High.
Three days before the showdown on the gridiron, both teams attended the section’s inaugural girls’ flag football CIF press conference and luncheon, held Wednesday at the Grand in Long Beach.
Newport Harbor brought four of its top players — senior captains Maia Helmar and Audrey Burns, junior Cooper Dick and freshman Skylie Cid.
Sailors coach Jason Guyser said it wasn’t hard to get them to commit.
“The best part was that they all responded to the group text rather quickly,” Guyser said. “That made me know that they were excited … The fact that we’re the only other sport besides tackle football to be doing it is fantastic. Super-exciting. It’s pretty special to be among the final teams.”
Each of the finalists in five playoff divisions was present. The girls got to hear from keynote speaker Katie Sylvan, the director of football administration for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Sylvan, who graduated from Harvard University in 2013, spoke of growing up in Southern California and loving football, but not having the opportunities that the players in the room now enjoy.
“Please take a moment to look around at your teammates and fellow competitors, recognize their accomplishments and give yourself a round of applause,” Sylvan said. “You are all trailblazing for future athletes in this sport, and your dedication and hard work are inspiring. Regardless of the outcome this playoff season, you have all earned a place in California sports history.”
Indeed, girls’ flag football has ballooned in popularity quickly, becoming an official CIF sport last year. CIF Southern Section commissioner Mike West said approximately 260 of the section’s 560 schools offered it as a sport this year.
Helmar, the Orange County Player of the Year as a junior after leading the Sailors to the No. 1 national ranking by MaxPreps.com, said the sport’s growth has been eye-opening.
“I played the first season when it was just a club sport, my freshman year,” said Helmar, also a standout softball player. “It’s crazy how much it has grown, that we started to play at our own stadium, whereas we had to play at [Orange County] Great Park [before]. The crowds have increased, the hype over the whole sport in general has gotten so much bigger.
“It’s already NAIA and Division III [for college]. I think it’s just going to blow up from there. I think there’s going to be incredible opportunities in Division I.”
But first things first. The Sailors (25-2) are eager for another chance at Orange Lutheran (22-2) after losing to the Lancers 28-12 at an early-season tournament. Orange Lutheran boasts a prolific offense and a quarterback who Guyser called the top one in the country, Makena Cook, who has thrown for 6,368 yards and 94 touchdown passes.
Since that early loss, though, Sunset League champion Newport Harbor has won 24 straight games, including a tough 12-7 triumph over league foe Huntington Beach in the semifinals.
“We worked all year to come back to the final and prepare for OLu, specifically,” said Burns, a leader of the Sailors defense as well as a reliable receiver. “We had a feeling that it would be us two again.”
Everyone is a winner in Sylvan’s book, regardless of the results on Saturday, She encouraged the student-athletes to keep shining as they participate in the first CIF Southern Section championship games.
“Keep grinding, keep breaking barriers, and most of all, keep inspiring future players,” Sylvan said. “Without you, we couldn’t continue the momentum and passion for women in football. You are all making history, and it’s an honor to witness.”
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