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Long list of Valhalla stops capped by late, significant moment
- Updated: October 29, 2025
Among the Valhalla defensive heroes were Presley Fink (1), Alaian Yatooma (13) and Bella Sharp (27).
2025 EAST COUNTY PREP GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships
By Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senior writer
RANCHO SAN DIEGO — A solid display of defense was capped when senior linebacker Preslee Fink broke up a point-after-touchdown conversion pass inside the final two minutes, lifting the Valhalla Norsemen to their first-ever CIF San Diego Section playoff victory by nipping visiting Oceanside, 20-19, in Tuesday’s (Oct. 28) opener of the section Division 5 tournament.
The closing minutes went back and forth.
“The environment was crazy,” said Fink. “I just knew that we had to do whatever we could to stop the play.”
The defensive stop was one of many key flag pulls in the second half by the Orange, including four on fourth down to kill Oceanside drives.
Meanwhile, the first half featured a school-record four interceptions by Valhalla, including a pair by Emma Stone. The other thefts were registered by Bella Sharp and Alaina Yatooma.
Sharp also collected a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Natalia Arco, including the go-ahead score with 314 remaining. A two-point conversion also lifted the Norsemen to their first lead of the contest at 20-12.
However, Oceanside answered with a 65-yard drive to pull within a point with 1:07 left on a TD reception.
Instead of going for the win on a 2-point PAT, the Pirates eletced to force overtime, but Fink, true to her surname, proved to be the scroundrel to finally foil Ovesnside.
“When the quarterback tapped her head, I knew it was a QB run,” added Fink. “I knew I was diving or doing whatever I had to do to stop the play.”
In the first half, every time Oceanside reached the end zone, Valhalla would answer.
In the opening quarter, a Pirates TD was answered when Yatooma answered on the very next play from scrimmage on a 65-yard, seem route pass for the score. A missed PAT left the Bucd ahead, 7-6.
In the second period, Sloan answered with a 19-yard reception, leaving Ocenaside with a 13-12 halftime lead.
“The environment was crazy,” said Fink. “I just knew that we had to do whatever we could to stop the play.”
Valhalla shored up its defense at the break, making three red-zone stops, but poor field position left the host still trailing by a point.
However, a Marco pass to Sharp, plus a decisive 2-point conversion, gave the Norsemen the lead for keeps at 20-13.
“Our defense was going deeper than their receivers, then jumping earlier to get the ball,” noted Sharp about the team’s four pass thefts, plus an array of batted-down passes.
“I haven’t really had that many interceptions, but on the one that I got, the ball was tipped and went right to me.”
Yatooma, a sophomore, out-worked a pair of Pirates defenders to move Valhalla in front.
“It was really crucial,” noted the two-way performer. “I caught the ball over a pair of defensive hands, then went all the way.”
Also among the tackling leaders for the Norsemen were Cameron Lamp and Kiley Pender.
Valhalla (8-10-1 overall), which tied with West Hills as the runner-ups in the Grossmont Valley League to earn the seventh-seed, drop Oceanside to 5-14. The Orange advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals at second-seeded Olympian High of eastern Chula Vista.
In the other side of the D-5 draw, sixth-seeded West Hulls, which blaked Montgomery, 24-0, plays at No. 3 San Diego, to be plated at Glenn Broderick Field (*old Balboa Stadium).
Both contests are slated for 1 p.m.
Should both the Norse and the Pack post upset victories, the GVL rivals will meet for the third time in the semfinals.
West Hills 24, Montgomery 0
SANTEE – The West Hills Wolf Pack posted a shutout in their postseason debut, but failed to report any game information.
With the triumph, the Pack (8-7 overall) clinched a non-losing season in their debut campaign after registering the school’s first shutout. The previous low was 6 back on Oct. 7.
The ballclub has captured 6-of-its-last-9 outings. The Aztecs end their season at 7-6 after going just 1-13 the previous season.
