Metro sends three teams to CIF girls flag football semifinals

WINGIN IT: LADY EAGLES GET CHANCE TO REPEAT AS DIVISION CHAMPIONS

The San Diego Section’s third girls flag football championship playoffs included 10 South County teams. Three of them were still active in the semifinals: Bonita Vista (No. 1 in Division I), Hilltop (No. 3 in Division IV) and Olympian (No. 2 in Division V).

Hilltop lost 32-6 to seventh-seeded Mt. Carmel on Tuesday to end an otherwise stellar season with a 13-5- final record as the Metro-South Bay League champion (for the second consecutive season, adding to their co-championship last year).

“We have a young nucleus with strong chemistry that is supported by great senior leadership,” Hilltop head coach Christian Enriquez said.

Bonita Vista, as the 2025 Metro-Mesa League champion, took a 20-0 record into Wednesday’s contest against fifth-seeded Westview while Olympian carried a 6-12 overall record into Wednesday’s game against the third-seeded San Diego Lady Cavers.

Bonita Vista trailed early 6-0 against Westview before scoring a safety and touchdown to lead 9-6. But the Lady Wolverines, hitting on long catches and runs, rallied with two second-half touchdowns to prevail 18-9 and put an end to the Lady’s Barons’ undefeated season.

Olympian had to play catch-up as well but managed to hold off visiting San Diego with second-half scores from superstar Aubrey Tibayan to prevail 26-20 after the teams had knotted 13-13 on the scoreboard.

Division finals are Saturday at Escondido High School, starting at 10 a.m. with Division V (Olympian vs. Canyon Crest Academy), followed at noon by Division IV (Patrick Henry vs. Mt. Carmel), 2 p.m. by Division III (Brawley vs. Mira Mesa), 4 p.m. by Division II (Vincent Memorial vs. Imperial) and 6 p.m. by the top flight Division I contest (Westview vs. Torrey Pines).

Olympian will play for its second consecutive CIF championship after winning last year’s inaugural Divsion IV title.

Of the 10 South County teams entered in this year’s tournament, nine held home field advantage for their opening game: Bonita Vista, Mater Dei Catholic (No. 3 in Division III), San Yisdro (No. 7 in Division III), Castle Park (No. 8 in Division IV), Hilltop (No. 3 in Division IV), Otay Ranch (No. 2 in Division IV), Eastlake (No. 8 in Division V), Chula Vista LCC (No. 4 in Division V) and Olympian.

Four emerged victorious:  Bonita Vista (26-13 over No. 8 Steele Canyon), Hilltop (28-6 over No. 11 Kearny), Eastlake (20-15 over No. 9 Central Union) and Olympian (20-6 over No. 7 Valhalla).

Home field advantage did not result in a win for either Mater Dei Catholic (32-0 loss to No. 6 Mira Mesa), Otay Ranch (13-7 loss to Mt. Carmel), San Ysidro 18-7 loss to No. 10 Mission Bay), CVLCC (13-6 loss to No. 12 Canyon Crest Academy) and Castle Park (33-12 loss to No. 9 Escondido).

Montgomery, as the No. 11 seed in Division V, ended its season with a 24-0 first-round loss to No. 6 West Hills.

Upsets have ruled the day in this year’s postseason tourney as 13 higher-seeded teams dropped their opening playoff games.

Bonita Vista was in danger of that before pulling out a spirited win against Grossmont Hills League champion Steele Canyon (18-5). The Lady Cougars twice led by scores of 6-0 and 13-6 before the Lady Barons rallied with 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

Junior Mia Ramirez passed for 172 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed 26 yards with one touchdown.

Leiani Wilson had two catches for 50 yards and one TD while junior Layla Schoen had a 10-yard TD catch.

The turning point came on a 20-yard pick six by Schoen to put the hosts up 19-13.

Steele’s touchdowns came on a clutch fourth down catch by senior Kaliana Ewing and a long pass and catch to senior track superstar Ily Barclay.

Bonita Vista was a different team in the final quarter. Lady Baron coach Larry Schoen called the game a “resilient win.”

“We had been through this all season, so we know how to win,” he said.

“I wasn’t expecting the ball (on the pick six), so when I got it, I just went,” Layla Schoen said.

Ramirez entered Wednesday’s semifinal with 3,056 passing yards and 55 touchdowns to go wth 1,033 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.

Schoen led BV receivers with 15 touchdowns, followed by sophomore Dariyan Wilson with 13 and junior Gabriella Meza with 10. On defense, Schoen led the team with 112 tackles while senior Ella Gomez had 58 sacks and Wilson had 18 interceptions.

Olympian’s leaders included sophomore Alexa Castaneda with 3,760 passing yards and 45 touchdowns and senior Aubrey Tibayan with 1,035 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns and 1,986 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.

Castaneda passed for 277 yards and two scores in the quarterfinal win over Valhalla while Tibayan had 11 catches for 216 yards and two TD.

Hilltop senior Elyse Guerra had four TD passes in the quarterfinal win over Kearny.

San Diego Section Girls Flag Football Playoffs

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Saturday, Nov. 8
Escondido High School
Division V: 10 a.m.
Division IV: noon
Division III: 2 p.m.
Division II: 4 p.m.
Division I: 6 p.m.

PLAYOFF BRACKETS
DIVISION I
Quarterfinals
Saturday, Nov. 1
All games 3 p.m.
(1) Bonita Vista 26, (8) Steele Canyon 13
(5) Westview 23, (4) Grossmont 0
(6) Mission Hills (19, (3) Carlsbad 12
(2) Torrey Pines 24, (7) Classical Academy 13

Semifinals
Wednesday, Nov. 5
All games 6 p.m.
(5) Westview 18, (1) Bonita Vista 9
(2) Torrey Pines 27, (6) Mission Hills 21

DIVISION II
First Round
Wednesday, Oct. 29
All games 6 p.m.
(8) La Costa Canyon 27, (9) O’Farrell Charter 6
(5) Granite Hills 31, (12) Scripps Ranch 25
(6) Clairemont 34, (11) Del Norte 26
(10) San Marcos 12, (7) Escondido Charter 0
Byes: (1) Poway, (2) Cathedral Catholic, (3) Imperial, (4) Vincent Memorial

Quarterfinals
Saturday, Nov. 1
All games 5 p.m.
(1) Poway 19, (8) La Costa Canyon 6
(4) Vincent Memorial (20-6) 39, Granite Hills 33
(3) Imperial 26, Clairemont 20
(10) San Marcos 26, (2) Cathedral Catholic 0

Semifinals
Tuesday, Nov. 4
All games 6 p.m.
(1) Poway vs. (4) Vincent Memorial
(3) Imperial vs. (10) San Marcos

DIVISION III
First Round
Tuesday, Oct. 28
All games 6 p.m.
(9) Our Lady of Peace 20, (8) Santa Fe Christian 7
(5) Ramona 13, (12) San Dieguito Academy 6
(6) Mira Mesa 18, (11) Point Loma 2
(10) Mission Bay 18, (7) San Ysidro 7
Byes: (1) Calexico, (2) Helix, (3) Mater Dei Catholic, (4) Brawley

Quarterfinals
Saturday, Nov. 1
All games 1 p.m.
(9) Our Lady of Peace 20, (1) Calexico 3
(4) Brawley 40, (5) Ramona 0
(6) Mira Mesa 32, (3) Mater Dei Catholic 0
(2) Helix (10-10) 27, (10) Mission Bay 13

Semifinals
Wednesday, Nov. 5
All games 6 p.m.
(4) Brawley 34, (9) Our lady of Peace 13
(6) Mira Mesa 27, (2) Helix 20

DIVISION IV
First Round
Wednesday, Oct. 29
All games 6 p.m.
(9) Escondido 33, (8) Castle Park 12
(5) Patrick Henry 13, (12) Morse 7
(11) Kearny 19, (6) Santana 12
(10) Francis Parker at (7) Mt. Carmel
Byes: (1) El Capitan, (2) Otay Ranch, (3) Hilltop, (4) University City

Quarterfinals
Saturday, Nov. 1
All games 5 pm.
(1) El Capitan 25, Escondido 6
(5) Patrick Henry 26, (4) University City 0
(3) Hilltop 28, Kearny 6
(7) Mt. Carmel 13, (2) Otay Ranch 7

Semifinals
Tuesday, Nov. 4
All games at 6 p.m.
(5) Patrick Henry 32, (1) El Capitan 7
(7) Mt. Carmel 32, (3) Hilltop 6

DIVISION V
First Round
Tuesday, Oct. 28
All games 6 p.m.

(8) Eastlake 20, (9) Central Union 15
(12) Canyon Crest Academy 7, (5) Sage Creek 6
(6) West Hills 24, (11) Montgomery 0
(7) Valhalla 20, (10) Oceanside 19
Byes: (1) San Pasqual, (2) Olympian, (3) San Diego, (4) Chula Vista LCC

Quarterfinals
Saturday, Nov. 1
All games 1 pm.
(1) San Pasqual 21, (8) Eastlake 19
(12) Canyon Crest Academy 13, (4) CVLCC 6
(3) San Diego 27, (6) West Hills 6
(2) Olympian 20, (7) Valhalla 6

Semifinals
Wednesday, Nov. 5
All games 6 p.m.
(12) Canyon Crest Academy 32, (1) San Pasqual 14
(2) Olympian 27, (3) San Diego 19
Brackets: www.cifsds.org