The time is now for young Corona del Mar girls’ flag football team
- Share via
LONG BEACH — CIF Southern Section administrators encouraged the dozens of young women who attended Wednesday’s second annual Girls’ Flag Football Press Conference Luncheon.
Commissioner Mike West called the players, representing the six divisional finalists, “trailblazers” in the quickly-growing sport. Assistant Commissioner Kristine Palle told them they’ve shown that girls don’t need a seat at the table.
“You’re building your own [table],” Palle said.
What Corona del Mar has built with a young roster is a championship contending team.
Coach Theo Rokos’ Sea Kings (17-14) will play Thousand Oaks Westlake (17-6) for the Division 2 title on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange.
In a sport that appears bursting at the seams with young talent, CdM is no exception. Sophomores Mia Balabanian, AnnaSofia Dickens and Addi Stern make up three of the team captains, with junior Brooke Morris the other.
“I think it’s insane,” said Balabanian, who plays receiver and safety and has stepped up as defensive leader following the graduation of Rokos’ daughter, Alexa. “We started with a new coaching staff, new rules, completely different game, young players. We were obviously excited to see how it went, but it took a while to develop it. We finally started clicking at midseason. Now we’re in CIF, and I just think it’s crazy. We have worked so hard. I’m so proud of everyone who has stepped up on our team.”
CdM has just one senior on the roster, Salem Madan, and she’s in her first year playing the sport.
The Sea Kings were competitive in the Sunset League, which Theo Rokos called the best league in the country top to bottom. Yet, CdM’s Back Bay rival Newport Harbor and Huntington Beach shared the league title, and CdM finished in fourth place.
Unfazed, the Sea Kings have earned four gritty wins in the playoffs, each by single digits.
CdM took two long road trips north — a 20-18 win at Aguora in a Division 2 first round match and a 27-18 triumph at Newbury Park in the Division 2 semifinals — to get there.
“I don’t think anybody logged more miles to get here, in terms of those two bus rides,” Theo Rokos said. “They definitely earned that.”
CdM also had to replace Alexa Rokos at quarterback. Stern, who played receiver last year, stepped into the role for the Sea Kings at midseason, after freshman Mia Palaferri was the signal-caller early on.
Palaferri maintains a key role at cornerback. Stern’s first game as quarterback? That was against undefeated Division 1 finalist JSerra.
“Pretty terrifying,” Stern said of the experience, with a smile. “It’s kind of been a learning experience this season, growing as a quarterback. Changing positions is kind of difficult, but I’m adjusting to it pretty well, I’d say. It’s fun leading a team and making plays.”
CdM freshman Samantha Matlaf had a big interception in the semifinal win, while Stern had a touchdown pass to Morris. Balabanian and sophomore Shannon Parrott both made key catches to extend drives.
The team relies on Stern’s passing ability as well as her feet. Rokos said running the ball is a key part of his team’s attack, in what has become a fairly wide open game.
“I think it’s still football,” Rokos said. “You have to be able to [run and pass], right, but running the ball is really important. People miss tackles in football, and people miss flags. That running game can really eat up the clock, just like football. If you can do it, you can dominate a game.”
The keynote speaker at Wednesday’s luncheon, held at the Grand in Long Beach, was Adriana Cox, special advisor to the Los Angeles Chargers Impact Fund. Cox’s late grandparents, Alex and Faye Spanos, bought the then-San Diego Chargers in 1984.
Cox congratulated the student-athletes, not just for reaching the championship game, but for helping build something bigger than themselves.
“Your energy, commitment and sportsmanship are setting a standard for what girls’ football looks like in California,” Cox said.
Dickens, who plays receiver, rusher and linebacker, understands growing the sport. She recently wrote a book, “We Run This House: The Girls’ Guide to Flag Football.”
“It’s a really cool thing to have, not just support for me, but support for the sport,” Dickens said of CdM’s playoff run. “I think that’s been a really cool experience for everyone over the last couple of weeks.”
