Newport Harbor girls’ flag football outlasts Huntington Beach in overtime
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Senior safety Cooper Dick caught a deflected pass for an interception, ending the game Wednesday night for the Newport Harbor High girls’ flag football team.
Then, something happened that she wasn’t expecting as teammates started to mob her.
Tears started running down her face.
“Usually, I cry when I’m mad or angry, but I started crying happy tears,” Dick said. “We needed this so much, and it was just nice to see everyone celebrate and know that we fought to win this game.”
The epic battle against Huntington Beach again tilted toward the Sailors at the end, as Newport Harbor earned a 19-13 overtime win in the Sunset League game at Cap Sheue Field.
Newport Harbor (9-0, 3-0 in league) took over outright first place early in the season. The Sailors are now a perfect 29-0 in the Sunset League since it was created in 2023.
But it took a comeback against an experienced team from Huntington Beach (4-1, 2-1), as the Oilers led for much of the contest.
The Sailors beat the Oilers four times last year, including a tight 12-7 decision in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.
“It’s hard to play a team and beat them four times, I don’t know how we did it,” Sailors coach Jason Guyser said. “This year, I knew it was going to be brutal, and they don’t even have their transfers playing yet. They’re the team expected to knock us off this year, because they’ve got juniors and seniors that play club flag football. And we’re young, to be honest.”
Guyser’s squad still made the plays needed at the end. Dick secured a tough 10-yard touchdown grab from sophomore quarterback Scarlett Guyser with 1:50 left, tying the score at 13-13.
Dick had dropped a fourth-down pass along the right sideline earlier in the fourth quarter, giving the ball back to Huntington Beach.
“I wasn’t really happy with myself, because I dropped a couple of passes earlier,” she said. “I was telling myself, go to the next one, catch the next one, and let’s do this. It was really nice to catch the touchdown, because our team needed it … You have to make big plays in games like this.”
The Sailors got the ball first in overtime and quickly earned a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. But it took a quarterback sneak from Scarlett Guyser on fourth-and-inches to give the Sailors their first lead of the game.
Huntington Beach’s attempt to match was prolonged by a fourth-down roughing the passer penalty against Newport Harbor. But on third down, junior quarterback Roxie Shaia’s pass over the middle was deflected and ended up in Dick’s hands.
Oilers coach Zack Pannell said he told his players post-game to flush the loss and move on. He credited the Sailors for always being a disciplined team and not beating themselves.
“I’m not even going to worry about this game,” Pannell said. “They played their butts off. And obviously, Newport Harbor being our league juggernaut, coming out here the girls are always ready … It just comes down to some crucial plays, and they made the plays tonight.”
Huntington Beach scored a touchdown on its opening possession of the game. Shaia’s pass in the middle of the field went to senior Taylor Savage, who lateraled the ball to Daisy Quatman for the score.
Newport Harbor answered midway through the second quarter, as Scarlett Guyser found fellow sophomore Blakely Irvine sprinting up the left seam for a 25-yard score.
The Oilers thought they had a touchdown late in the first half, as Savage threw the ball back to Shaia, who found Kate Ross in the end zone. But the play was called back, as the referee called an illegal forward pass.
“That play was a difference-maker, but we’ve still got to win that game,” Pannell said. “We’re ahead after that, and we’ve got to close them out.”
Newport Harbor’s Ashlyn Spicer made an interception early in the second half, but the Oilers defense held deep in its own territory. Huntington Beach would re-take the lead late in the third quarter, on a 5-yard touchdown run by Quatman.
The Sailors drove for the tying score. Irvine had a spectacular catch midway through the fourth quarter on a deflected ball, the play going for 37 yards and setting the Sailors up with good field position.
“I was really nervous, because I had dropped like five balls before that,” Irvine said. “ It was really suspenseful, like slow motion … It felt good to make the play and stay focused.”
Huntington Beach resumes league play at Corona del Mar on Monday.
As for Newport Harbor, the Sailors now prepare to play Santa Margarita (12-0) at the El Toro tournament on Saturday. The Sailors then get their first look at a tough Edison team in league on Monday.
The Chargers, like the Oilers, would love to give the Sailors their first league loss.
“I love it,” Jason Guyser said. “I tell them, every time we go out, this is the other team’s Super Bowl. We haven’t lost in league, we’re [29-0]. Whoever’s going to knock us off — and it will happen — that’s going to be a huge thing. I tell the girls, ‘You’ve got to get up for this,’ and they do.”
The Sailors and Oilers play for the second time in league at Newport Harbor on Sept. 29. Pannell’s squad is expected to have a couple of top transfers, from Los Alamitos and Marina respectively, eligible for that showdown.
Newport Harbor, though, will look to keep its winning ways against its rival going.
“It feels amazing, especially being a senior,” Dick said. “I’ve been on this team since [flag football] was a CIF sport, and to see our team grow throughout the years, it’s just amazing to see how everyone’s improved. I’m just so proud of everybody.”
