The @jserra.girlsflagfootball team is once again the championship standard of excellence, as the Lions claimed their second straight CIF-SS championship on Saturday with a 40-14 victory over the Newport Harbor Sailors in the CIF-SS Open Division Championship Game at Huntington Beach High School.
JSerra closes out its’ second straight undefeated season at 28-0 and extends the nation’s longest winning streak to 56 consecutive games.
JSerra surged into a 6-0 lead on the game’s second play.
Sophomore quarterback Kate Meier uncorked a perfect deep ball down the middle of the field to sophomore Tessa Russell, who caught the pass in stride and sprinted into the end zone for a 61-yard touchdown reception.
After the Lions defense forced a Sailors punt on their opening drive, Meier capped the Lions’ ensuing possession with a four-yard scoring scramble to increase the Lions’ lead to 13-0.
Newport Harbor trimmed the deficit to 13-7 with a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Meier and Russell connected on a scoring reception for the second time in the half (from 11 yards out) with 30 seconds left in the half to give JSerra a 20-7 lead at the intermission.
Newport Harbor trimmed the deficit to 20-14 with a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half.
But JSerra once again responded with a scoring drive on its ensuing drive to increase the lead to 27-14, as Meier rolled to her right and fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Abby Vanderweerd, who made a fantastic sliding catch in the end zone.
The Lions defense stopped the Sailors next drive, and Meier and Russell once again found the end zone with a 12-yard scoring connection to give JSerra a 34-14 lead with 5:13 remaining.
Senior Avery Olson produced an interception on the Sailors next drive, with Meier adding the final touchdown of the game on a one-yard scoring run with 1:52 left in the contest.
Senior Stella Day added an interception inside the final minute to put the finishing touches on the Lions’ title victory.
Meier completed 28-of-35 passes for 262 yards.
Russell finished with 12 catches for 153 yards.
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