Varsity Flag Football defeated Wilcox High School 25-13 on Monday, Oct. 20. The Matadors, having won a close game against WHS two weeks ago, went into the match prepared for a challenge and especially determined to win.
The game started out neck and neck, but as it progressed into the second quarter, MVHS gained momentum, entering the third quarter 13-0 with a touchdown from Junior and fullback Isobel Schweigert. WHS bounced back in the third quarter, scoring one touchdown, but was ultimately unable to close the gap. The momentum shifted back and forth in the fourth quarter, with each team scoring a touchdown in the first six minutes. However, MVHS pushed through, as Isobel Schweigert scored another touchdown with one minute left in the quarter.
Head Coach David Sciplin believes this game was consistent with the team’s strong performance this season, especially considering the progress they’ve made in only the second year of flag football at MVHS.
“In this game, you have to know the routes, you have to know the different positions and you have to be able to improvise,” Sciplin said. “Because a lot of the girls have never played football before, practices are just trying to get them to learn the game, and they’re actually doing really well.”
Freshman and linebacker Shania Amjadi applauds the team’s persistence and successful integration of the new defensive layout systems they had practiced the past few weeks. She notes that although the team has strengthened their overall coordination, there are still slight refinements to be made.
“We stayed really strong throughout the whole game, we kept pursuing and we just fought really hard,” Amjadi said. “But we could have worked a little bit on communicating and releasing the ball faster.”
Sciplin adds that although MVHS has a relatively new team, they’ve managed to foster a strong spirit. With two games left in the season, Sciplin hopes the team can maintain their motivation and high energy in anticipation of competing in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“Even though half of our team are freshmen, they have integrated really well with the upperclassmen, and it’s nice to see that they have become a really tight team,” Sciplin said. “Camaraderie is what this kind of sport is all about.”
