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Falcons halt Helix run for Open title

Helix attempts a flag grab on Saturday. / Vic Marano

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FLAG FOOTBALL
CIF SAN DIEGO SECTION OPEN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

TORREY PINES 13, HELIX 0

Highlanders finish breakthrough second season 18-2 after Torrey Pines repeats

 

EastCountySports.com staff report

 

CHULA VISTA — The remarkable rise of the Helix girls flag football program ended one victory short of a section championship Saturday (Nov. 7), when Torrey Pines blanked the Highlanders, 13-0, in the CIF San Diego Section Open Division final at Olympian High.

Senior Alexa Avila scored both touchdowns for fourth-seeded Torrey Pines (16-8), which captured its second consecutive section championship.

Avila supplied the only points the Falcons needed when she returned a Helix punt 50 yards for a touchdown during the second quarter.

Helix remained within one possession for most of the evening, but Torrey Pines’ defense prevented one of the section’s most explosive offenses from reaching the end zone.

The Falcons finally secured the championship with 5:42 remaining, when junior quarterback Izzie Dieter completed a short screen pass to Avila. The senior cut back against the Helix pursuit and raced into the end zone for a 13-0 advantage.

Avila’s two touchdowns and a championship defensive performance ended the Highlanders’ East County-record 13-game winning streak.

Falcons contain Sanchez

Torrey Pines accomplished something no other opponent did this season: holding Helix without a touchdown.

Senior quarterback Vida Sanchez completed 9 of 26 passes for 140 yards, but Falcons defensive backs Kate Conway and Lola Johnson recorded interceptions.

Torrey Pines adjusted to a Helix passing attack that pushed the ball farther downfield than most of the Falcons’ previous opponents. The corners recovered after the Highlanders created several opportunities on deep throws, while the Torrey Pines pass rush worked to contain Sanchez and prevent her from escaping the pocket.

Sanchez remained Helix’s leading rushing threat, gaining 59 yards on 19 carries, but the Falcons prevented her from producing the breakaway runs that had fueled the Scotties throughout their championship run.

Junior Myliya Johnson caught four passes for 76 yards, including a 31-yard reception. Senior Kaiya “Kai-Kai” Merlo collected four receptions for 59 yards, while junior Nikayla Domingo added a 5-yard catch.

Helix finished with 199 yards of total offense, but could not complete a scoring drive.

The Highlanders’ defense kept the game within reach until Avila’s second touchdown. Sophomore Morgan Giles led Helix with seven flag pulls and two pass breakups.

Senior defensive captain Emani Maclin and sophomore Londynn Brown added four flag pulls apiece. Senior Samaya Webb-Horsley recorded two quarterback hurries, while sophomore Eden Smith added another.

Torrey Pines defense peaks

The championship shutout completed an impressive postseason run for Torrey Pines.

The Falcons allowed only 25 points across three Open Division playoff games, defeating Mira Mesa and Carlsbad before blanking Helix.

Torrey Pines had been tested by injuries and a difficult schedule during the regular season, but its defense reached its best form during the playoffs. The Falcons’ secondary became increasingly comfortable with its assignments, while the pass rush and coverage units combined to frustrate three of the section’s strongest offenses.

Helix became the final victim despite entering the championship game averaging more than 31 points per contest.

Season that changed the program

Saturday’s loss did little to diminish a historic second season for Helix.

After finishing last in the Grossmont Hills League during its inaugural campaign, Helix transformed into one of the section’s elite programs in 2026.

The Highlanders finished 18-2 overall, captured their first Grossmont Hills League championship with a perfect 8-0 record and reached the Open Division final in their first postseason appearance.

Helix went 12-0 at home, averaged more than 30 points per game and completed the season with a 603-268 scoring advantage.

Its only regular-season setback came against Bonita Vista, 22-6, on Sept. 15. Helix responded by winning its next 13 games, including two victories apiece over Granite Hills, Steele Canyon and Classical Academy.

The Scotties announced themselves as a section contender in September by winning a 55-52 shootout at Classical Academy, then seized control of the GHL by defeating Granite Hills, 33-26, at Benton Hart Stadium.

Helix later clinched the league championship by winning the rematch at Granite Hills, 30-24, before completing its undefeated conference run with a 32-26 double-overtime victory at Steele Canyon.

The Highlanders then survived two dramatic Open Division playoff games.

Sanchez extended the ball across the goal line for the winning touchdown in a 12-6 triple-overtime quarterfinal victory over Mission Hills, giving Helix the first postseason win in program history.

In the semifinals, Merlo broke up Classical Academy’s potential game-winning two-point conversion pass with 5.4 seconds remaining, preserving a 21-20 victory and sending the Scotties to the championship game.

Sanchez closes record-setting season

Sanchez completed one of the most productive individual seasons in section history.

The senior passed for 3,619 yards and 58 touchdowns while rushing for 1,686 yards and 18 scores. She accounted for 5,305 total yards and 76 touchdowns during her lone season at Helix.

Merlo completed her senior campaign with 126 receptions for 1,885 yards and 28 touchdowns. She also anchored the secondary with a team-leading 14 interceptions, returning them for 303 yards.

Johnson finished with 61 receptions for 983 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Domingo contributed 39 catches for 566 yards and 15 scores.

On defense, Webb-Horsley registered 25 sacks and 28 flag pulls behind the line of scrimmage. Brown led the Highlanders with 106 total flag pulls, while Maclin collected 69 flag pulls and four interceptions.

The senior class leaves behind a league championship, an Open Division runner-up finish and the foundation of a program that required only two seasons to join the county’s flag football powers.

Helix will lose an extraordinary group headed by Sanchez, Merlo, Maclin and Webb-Horsley. However, the return of Johnson, Domingo, Brown, Smith and several other contributors should keep the Highlanders positioned among the section’s leading programs moving forward.

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