Carlmont’s girls varsity flag football crushed rivaling Sequoia Ravens on Wednesday, adding to their season-long win streak with a shutout of 32-0.
Within the first few minutes of the game, the Scots started strong on offense. Sophomore quarterback Lauren Greene executed a touchdown pass to senior Alessandra Nelson, giving the Scots an early lead of 6-0.
“I would say I executed my position well. Our offense has really improved, now we’re able to run plays even better,” Nelson said.
The duo would then go on to make two more successful touchdown passes, accumulating a total of 139 receiving yards for Nelson over the course of the game. Their connection accounted for 18 out of the 32 total points.
Leading Carlmont’s defense, sophomores Ameena Mohammed and Emerson Barajas showcased their skills early in the game by making a total of four tackles in the first half. They played a crucial role in stopping the opposing team from scoring and set a strong defensive tone for the rest of the game.
“For me, I coach, but now I’m starting to see players telling each other when they’re lined up wrong. They correct each other now, and as a coach, it’s beautiful,” Coach Oscar Cortez said. “I want to fire myself from as many positions as possible. The best coach is no coach.”
In the second half, sophomore quarterback Bella Wilson and Barajas connected for a touchdown pass, while freshman Samantha Tow, playing on defense, scored the only defensive touchdown after a third interception.
“We all really came together and tried to do our parts, especially to honor the seniors. Over the season, we’ve become a lot more connected, making it easier to complete passes and runs,” Greene said.
“Defensively, we didn’t let anyone get by and we made many interceptions. Defense has always been good, but it’s getting easier to work as a team,” Nelson said.
In their debut season, Carlmont’s girls flag football team faced many challenges, which the coach and players have worked to overcome. During the season, the team has navigated through uncharted territory and dealt with various obstacles while pioneering the sport at Carlmont.
“One of the biggest challenges has been getting players to transition from thinking about plays to doing and reacting,” Cortez said. “Understanding your role on the team and how you fit in as a puzzle piece takes a while.”
Understanding your role on the team and how you fit in as a puzzle piece takes a while.
— Oscar Cortez
The team is committed to improvement and development as they prepare for the remainder of the season.
“Our two goals from the start have been building a dominant flag football team and developing student athletes to their full potential. Everything we do aims to achieve those goals,” Cortez said.
