The Los Alamitos High flag football team started strong, but could not keep pace with Newport Harbor as the Sailors pulled away for a 26-7 win in a Sunset Conference game Monday at Newport Harbor High.
The Sailors improved their record to 14-2 overall and 7-0 in conference. The Griffins are 7-8 overall, but 4-3 in Sunset Conference play, tied for third place with Huntington Beach High. Corona del Mar holds the No. 2 spot with a 6-1 conference record.
Griffins Head Coach Demar Bowe said the team lost some key seniors from last year, so they are starting several young players, including freshman. He also said several players are traditional soccer players, so it’s been an adjustment for them.
But the players are gaining experience and confidence and Bowe said he likes the aggressiveness his team is developing in their play. Flag football includes some no running restrictions, so passing is a big component and he said coaches have been working on making sure they are going after passes.
“That’s one of the things that we’ve been harping on them about, since camp, it’s been, ‘when the ball’s in the air, whether you’re on offense or defense, it’s yours, just make sure you go for it,’” Bowe said.
The Griffins struck first, scoring a touchdown with a pass from freshman quarterback Ava Seedorf. But the Sailors settled in and closed the gap with a touchdown pass by senior quarterback Maia Helmar, to cut the lead to 7-6. After Newport Harbor got the ball back on an interception by junior Cooper Dick, the Sailors took the lead with another touchdown pass by Helmar.
The Griffins are back on the road today at Corona del Mar for a 6 p.m. game. They will play at Fountain Valley on Monday, starting at 5:30 p.m.