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Orange Nation flag primed, ready

Valhalla senior Natalia Marco

 

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2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FLAG FOOTBALL

League play arrives with mixed results

ECS staff report

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — “Different strokes for different folks” is widely attributed to boxing legend Muhammad Ali, once considered the most recognizable man in the world. Ali used the phrase in a 1966 interview.

That variety of thoughts and ideas is common during the early years of girls’ flag football, as schools utilize all sorts of scheduling strategies to prepare for league play.

For some coaches, such strategies worked quite well Tuesday (Sept. 22); for others, they did not.

Here are some of the on-field winners—and losers—when it came to their off-field thinking.

Grossmont Valley League

Valhalla 26, El Cajon Valley 13

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — Valhalla quarterback Natalia Marco, coming off her school-record 266-yard passing performance against Rancho Bernardo, showed no signs of a letdown.

Marco equaled her school record with four touchdown passes, leading the previously winless Norsemen past visiting El Cajon Valley, 26-13, in both teams’ Grossmont Valley League opener Tuesday (Sept. 22).

Marco connected twice with wide receiver Emma Sloan, including on a 50-yard touchdown. Sloan led Orange Nation with seven receptions for 128 yards, both school records.

The other two touchdown passes went to a pair of underclassmen—junior Alaina Yatooma and sophomore Penelope “Penny” Lathen.

Yatooma also tied for the team lead in two important defensive categories. She matched Sloan with two interceptions and equaled Charlotte Reed with five flag pulls.

Yatooma has caught a touchdown pass in all seven of her appearances this season.

The Norsemen (1-8 overall, 1-0 GVL) share first place with West Hills after snapping their season-opening eight-game losing streak.

Valhalla elected to play a difficult pre-league schedule, including games against three of the five Grossmont Hills League teams, to prepare for its GVL slate.

West Hills 25, Santana 6

SANTEE — Unlike most conference schools, West Hills elected to start its season late, not taking the field for the first time until the final week of August.

The bad: The Wolf Pack started slowly, posting a 3-3 record while allowing more than 30 points on several occasions.

The good: The Pack missed most of the summer heat and humidity, which was worse than in most years. Thus, the ballclub looked fresh while visiting Santana seemed a step behind during West Hills’ 25-6 triumph at Wolf Pack Stadium on Tuesday (Sept. 22).

West Hills (4-3 overall, 1-0 GVL) has a league bye Tuesday, so the Wolf Pack will instead host unbeaten Christian in a non-league affair at 7:15 p.m.

West Hills did not report statistics or game information.

Fortunately, Santana (3-6, 0-1 GVL) did report, including the Sultans’ only score on a 20-yard touchdown pass to Brynn Warren.

Quarterback Ava Darling completed 22 of 31 passes.

The Sultans open a six-game homestand Thursday against El Cajon Valley.

Grossmont Hills League

Granite Hills 19, at Steele Canyon 6

JAMUL — Steele Canyon might have owned a .500 record entering the contest, but a closer look at the teams the Cougars played told a different story.

The Cougars were 5-1 against losing opponents but 1-5 against winning ballclubs.

Case in point: Tuesday’s (Sept. 22) Grossmont Hills League opener against Granite Hills, as the visiting Eagles remained in control throughout a 19-6 victory over Steele Canyon.

A representative of East County Sports did not keep statistics but estimated that the Granite Hills defense held Steele Canyon to fewer than 100 yards of total offense. Steele Canyon did not report game statistics.

Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback Taylor Nash continued performing at league MVP levels. Nash threw two touchdown passes and rushed for 55 yards, directing Granite Hills on three long scoring drives.

Nash connected with Emily Fong and Juvonia “J.J.” Jones for touchdowns.

For Fong, the scoring reception was the 10th of her career. Jones collected her first touchdown reception of the season and the second of her career.

The Eagles’ long drives were aided by Brooklyn Spencer, who carried 15 times for a game-high 65 yards.

Olivia Cirar dominated on defense with eight flag pulls, including a sack. No other Granite Hills defender registered more than three stops.

Siena Healy and Amaya Thomas added interceptions for the Eagles.

Helix 33, Grossmont 0

LA MESA — Helix, sitting in a potentially dangerous look-ahead situation with Granite Hills next on the schedule, remained fully focused while blanking ancient rival Grossmont, 33-0, at Jim Arnaiz Field in Benton Hart Stadium on Tuesday (Sept. 22).

The victory sent the Scotties into their early Grossmont Hills League showdown against Granite Hills with a 7-1 overall record.

Neither school reported statistics or other game information.

The victory was the Scotties’ first over Grossmont after falling twice to the Foothillers during Helix’s debut 2025 campaign—by margins of just six points and one point.

Non-League

Monte Vista 34, Mar Vista 6

SPRING VALLEY — The Monte Vista Monarchs captured their school-record fourth consecutive victory, also moving above .500 for the first time during the program’s second season by defeating visiting Mar Vista, 34-6, on Tuesday (Sept. 22).

The winning streak represents a remarkable turnaround for a program that finished 1-15 during its inaugural season.

No statistics were reported by the Monarchs (5-4 overall). Mar Vista dropped to 1-11.

Christian 32, at Crawford 0

EL CERRITO — The unbeaten Christian Patriots ran their record to 4-0 after posting the first shutout in program history, corralling the host Crawford Colts, 32-0, on Tuesday (Sept. 22).

Christian’s first-year program has outscored its four opponents 103-26, with three of its victories coming on the road.

Crawford (1-9) dropped its eighth straight contest.

Neither school offered a game report.

Western League

Mission Bay 27, Patrick Henry 7

PACIFIC BEACH — Patrick Henry has suddenly fallen into a rut on the road.

Following a difficult scoreless battle through regulation that eventually resulted in a double-overtime loss to Cathedral Catholic, the slumping Patriots were upset by Mission Bay, 27-7, in Western League action Tuesday (Sept. 22).

The Buccaneers entered the contest tied with Clairemont near the bottom of the Western League standings yet posted their best defensive performance of the season, limiting the visiting Patriots to a single touchdown.

Patrick Henry fell to 5-4 overall.

Neither school reported statistics or additional game information.

Monday’s Game

Palomar League

Ramona 12, Poway 0

RAMONA — Ramona defenders Brooklyn Roed and Reese Blakey each recorded interceptions, leading the host Bulldogs to a 12-0 victory over Poway in Monday’s (Sept. 21) Palomar League contest.

Emersyn Bryant wreaked havoc in the Poway backfield throughout the contest, recording three quarterback hurries and two sacks, as the Bulldogs’ defense limited the Titans to 139 yards of total offense.

Zaria Fondon also penetrated the line to register a flag pull for a 10-yard loss.

Bulldogs quarterback Elisa Gaines passed for more than 200 yards and tossed touchdown passes to Remingtyn “Remi” Bryant from 30 yards and Blakey from 2 yards. Gaines also led the ballclub with 28 rushing yards.

Ramona (6-4 overall, 2-0 Palomar League) remained tied with Del Norte for first place.

Poway (5-5), which once owned a 5-2 record, dropped its third straight contest—all by shutout, including a blanking by Granite Hills. The Titans remained winless in Palomar League play.

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