It is said that defending a championship is harder than winning one.
That ls the challenge facing the JSerra High flag football team this fall after the skilled girls from San Juan Capistrano completed a perfect season with a last-second goal line stand to secure their 25-20 triumph over defending champion Orange Lutheran in the Southern Section Division 1 final last November.
The Lions defeated their Trinity League rivals three times on the way to a 28-0 record in 2025 and are the preseason favorites to repeat under the guidance of Brian Ong, the reigning section coach of the year, and USA Flag junior national team members Kate Meier (quarterback) and Tessa Russell (receiver/safety).
Also returning is All-American quarterback Ava Van Heerde, who rotated with Meier last season to give opposing defenses fits attempting to solve their contrasting but equally effective styles. Meier passed for 3,729 yards and 58 touchdowns as a freshman while Van Heerde (also a rising star in softball) threw for 3,460 yards and 44 touchdowns as a sophomore. They will miss throwing to their favorite target as leading receiver and Division 1 player of the year Ava Irwin has transferred to Sierra Canyon for its program launch.
Orange Lutheran’s only three losses last season were to JSerra and if the Lancers are to be title contenders again they must overcome the absence of All-CIF quarterback Makena Cook (who threw for 7,083 yards and 112 touchdowns) and receiver Happy Dubois (129 receptions for 1,747 yards and 21 touchdowns), who are joining Irwin at Sierra Canyon. The Lancers also have a new coach, Dennis Hester, after Kristen Sherman announced in March that she was leaving to be an assistant under her husband, Rod Sherman, at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Mater Dei went 0-6 in Trinity League action one year ago but has picked up two key transfers in junior quarterback Tymane Allen (who threw for 4,925 yards and 56 touchdowns for Cypress) and senior receiver/safety Allyson Schmida (who caught 74 passes for 744 yards at Crean Lutheran).
JSerra High’s Brian Ong was the Southern Section Division 1 coach of the year last fall when the Lions went unbeaten.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Back for the Monarchs is dual-threat quarterback Kendra Hansen, who had 25 touchdown passes and 20 touchdown runs as a sophomore.
Huntington Beach won 25 of 27 games last year, reaching the Division 1 semifinals, and despite the graduation of All-Southern Section receiver Taylor Savage the Oilers are equipped for another deep playoff run behind quarterback Roxie Shaia (6,692 yards and 89 touchdowns), receiver Shelby Nguyen (96 catches for 1,020 yards and 21 touchdowns) and linebacker Mia Aish (133 flag pulls and eight interceptions).
Trying to dethrone the Sunset League champions will be Newport Harbor, which has quarterback Scarlett Guyser (3,371 yards and 42 touchdowns) and receiver Skylie Cid (105 catches for 1,161 yards and 11 touchdowns). Division 2 champion Corona del Mar, which brings back every starter but one, including player of the year Addison Stern and receivers Mia Balabanian and AnnaSofia Dickens.
Dos Pueblos went 24-3 and fell to JSerra in the Division 1 semifinals last season. The Chargers return All-Channel League defensive back Brooklyn Hedricks (203 flag pulls, 18 deflections and 14 interceptions) and receiver Ruby Streatfeild (104 catches for 1,101 yards and 18 touchdowns), who helped power the LA Chargers Conquer club team to the NFL Girls Flag National Championship in Westfield, Ind. in July.
Thanks to its high-profile transfers, Sierra Canyon could be the team to beat in the San Fernando Valley. The Trailblazers will play in the Mission League along with Harvard-Westlake, which has hired professional flag player and prominent club coach Asha Prithiraj to guide the Wolverines through their inaugural season.
All-Southern Section quarterback Makena Cook transferred to Sierra Canyon after leading Orange Lutheran to the Division 1 final last season.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
In addition to new programs emerging in 2026 are new rules, like teams having an extra timeout each half (matching the three per half in tackle football), tighter ball-stripping restrictions, a definition for illegal hurdling and teams giving up a safety putting the ball in play via scrimmage kick from the 20-yard line. The most significant change gives a trailing team that has just scored the option to try a fourth-and-20 pass from its own 20-yard line. Should the play result in a first down, the trailing team keeps possession. If it fails, the opponent takes over at the spot the play ended.
The Northern League appears to have supplanted the Marine League as the best in the City Section after Marshall and Eagle Rock faced each other for the Open Division title and Franklin made the Division I semifinals last fall.
Marshall won 20-0 behind three-year starting quarterback Jaylin Macias, whose departure gives her backup, Diana Sandoval, an opportunity to run coach Shane Gerard’s offense. The Barristers will be tested by 23-game winner Wilson and Eagle Rock, which returns quarterback Nylah Moore (51 touchdown passes as a junior last year) and adds Nylah’s freshman sister Cinzia.
Thirty-two Southern California teams (separated into two divisions) will participate in the fourth annual Chargers x Oakley Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa.
Friday’s pool play matchups include Sierra Canyon-Long Beach Poly; JSerra-Camarillo; Newport Harbor-Aliso Niguel; Huntington Beach-Redondo Union; Oxnard-Orange Lutheran; Woodbridge-Ventura; Dos Pueblos-Classical Academy; Cypress-Agoura; Warren-St. Margaret’s;and Westlake-Torrey Pines.
Corona del Mar High’s AnnaSofia Dickens runs the ball against Westlake in last season’s Southern Section Division 2 final at El Modena.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Teams to Watch this season
JSerra, Huntington Beach, Sierra Canyon, Orange Lutheran, Newport Harbor, Corona del Mar, Trabuco Hills, Dos Pueblos, Camarillo, Santa Margarita, Lakewood St. Joseph, Westlake, Anaheim Canyon, Upland, San Marcos, Mater Dei, Etiwanda, Ventura, Downey, Newbury Park.
Players to Watch this season
Ava Irwin, WR/DB Sierra Canyon
Makena Cook, QB, Sierra Canyon
Kate Meier, QB, JSerra
Tessa Russell, WR/DB, JSerra
Addison Stern, QB, Corona del Mar
Olivia Elsokary, WR/DB, Westlake
Ava Van Heerde, QB, JSerra
Scarlett Guyser, QB/DB, Newport Harbor
Happy Dubois, WR/DB, Sierra Canyon
Brooklyn Hedricks, WR/DB, Dos Pueblos
London Lefler, QB/WR/DB Newbury Park
Skylie Cid, RB, Newport Harbor
Roxie Shaia, QB, Huntington Beach
Mia Balabanian, Corona del Mar
Tymane Allen, QB, Mater Dei
Mia Aish, LB, Huntington Beach
Madeline Garcia, QB, Downey
Sadie Olivares, WR/DB, Edison
Leah Vanderveen, WR/S, Mission Viejo
Nylah Moore, QB, Eagle Rock
AnnaSofia Dickens, WR/LB, Corona del Mar
Quarterback Nylah Moore will try to pass Eagle Rock back to the City Section Open Division flag football championship game.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)