Sacred Heart Prep defeated Carlmont 20-6 in a varsity girls flag football game Friday night, Sept. 26, at Sacred Heart Prep High School, breaking open a close game with two touchdowns in the last quarter.
Sacred Heart struck early, taking a 7-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. That margin held through halftime and into the third quarter, as Carlmont’s defense kept the game close. In the fourth quarter, the Gators added two more touchdowns, bringing the score to 20-0. The Scots answered with a late score to avoid the shutout, leading to their 20-6 score.
“We have a lot of respect for Carlmont. They have great athletes and one of the more innovative systems in the league. They have great athletes. We executed well, and the scoreboard took care of itself. We’re very happy with the outcome,” said Sacred Heart head coach Dennis O’Malley.
O’Malley credited quarterback Riley Longacre and captain Shania Shields for their leadership. He also pointed to a touchdown catch by sophomore Kate Kenish and an interception by Gianna Camus near the end zone.
“Favorite moment of the game was Kate Kenish’s catch that she had over a Carlmont defender. Her eyes were in the sun. She was still able to score. It’s just a great physical and mental play by a person who’s a sophomore,” O’Malley said.
Carlmont’s lone touchdown came on a run by junior Samantha Tow, who also recorded an interception.
“I think that we have made a lot of mistakes, but overall today, we played very well, but we just weren’t the best team today,” Tow said.
Head coach Oscar Fabic-Cortez praised his team’s effort while pointing to areas of improvement.
“The team that blocks the best and tackles the best and plays fundamental sound football was going to win, and today Sacred Heart was that team,” Fabic said.
Fabic highlighted the Scots’ resilience despite the score. “I thought the effort was 100% there the whole game. So that’s hard to teach, and I was proud of the girls for their effort,” Fabic said.
Carlmont sophomore Callie Hernandez said the new equipment has already made an impact on the field. “From the past couple of games, honestly, the way a couple of Carlmont players have tumbled pretty hard, it seems like it’s doing a pretty good job. I think it definitely improves the ability for us to stay safe and have confidence to play our hardest,” Hernandez said.
Sacred Heart Prep will continue league play, aiming for a top-two finish in the standings to secure a Central Coast Section berth, with hopes of making a deep postseason run if the team maintains its current level of play. Carlmont, meanwhile, remains focused on building a championship-caliber program, developing players to their highest potential, and maintaining one of the highest team GPAs among all sports as it aims for a third straight title season.
“I want everyone at Carlmont and the entire community to know just how proud I am of this team, wins or losses. What matters to me is that we’re putting in our best effort. We’re playing hard for each other, and if we do that, the end result is relevant,” Fabic said.
