As the sport of flag football has grown globally, the high school girls flag football scene has exploded in the Santa Barbara area.
Local schools have pulled from their rich pool of student-athletes in other girls sports across campus and, in just three years of it being a CIF-sanctioned sport, reached the highest levels of competition.
Many of those student-athletes have quickly adapted to the newest high school sport, and 17 of them were named to Noozhawk's inaugural All-South Coast Flag Football Team. The team was made by Sports Editor Diego Sandoval.
The Chargers were the last local team standing this fall, earning a co-Channel League title and reaching the CIF-SS Div. 1 semifinals against eventual champion JSerra.
Kacey Hurley: Quarterbacked an electric offense that averaged over 30 points per game. 4,063 pass yards, 872 rush yards, 88 total TDs. Channel League Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
Brooklyn Hedricks: An impact player on both sides of the ball who shined on the defensive end. 203 flag pulls, 14 INT, 65 catches, 1,249 receiving yards, 19 TDs. Channel League Defensive Player of the Year.
Ruby Streatfeild: An elite playmaker with the ball in her hands in the backfield and out wide. 104 catches, 1,101 receiving yards, 718 rush yards, 336 pass yards, 34 total TDs. All-Channel League First Team.
Kindah Ahmad-Reda: A pillar of the passing game and a lockdown defensive back for the Chargers. 101 catches, 1,089 yards, 16 TDs, 144 flag pulls, 9 INT. All-Channel League First Team.
Carly Letendre: Provided strong senior leadership on both sides of the ball while putting up numbers. 56 catches, 447 yards, 6 TDs, 48 flag pulls, 3 INT. All-Channel League First Team.
Taylor Grant: Another big-play receiving threat on the offensive end and a leading tackler on defense. 70 catches, 841 yards, 19 TDs, 111 flag pulls. All-Channel League Second Team.
Zenia Potter: One of the top rushers in the league, constantly applying pressure to the opposing quarterbacks. 82 flag pulls, 26 sacks, 25 hurries. All-Channel League Second Team.
The Royals shared the Channel League title with Dos Pueblos in a just as impressive season, reaching the CIF-SS Div. 1 Quarterfinals against runner-up Orange Lutheran.
Rio Chesluk: A scoring machine on the offensive end and a standout in the defensive secondary. 1,121 receiving yards, 25 receiving TDs, 7 rush TDs, 8 pass TDs, 12 defensive INT. Channel League MVP.
Peyton Sperling: A dynamic runner out of the backfield and a ballhawk in the secondary. 1,063 receiving yards, 570 rushing yards, 25 total TDs, 60 flag pulls, 11 defensive INT. Channel League Two-Way Player of the Year.
Victoria Aldana: A dual-threat quarterback who kept opposing defenses on their toes all season. 3,461 pass yards, 53 pass TD, 1,108 rush yards, 11 rush TD, 9 defensive INT. All-Channel League First Team.
Janelle Capuno: A crucial weapon on the offensive end and half of a dominant pass-rushing duo. 673 receiving yards, 12 total TDs, 43 flag pulls, 20 sacks. All-Channel League First Team.
Rylie Cook: One of the centerpieces of a stout San Marcos defense that allowed an average of six points per game. 104 flag pulls, 7 INT, 10 pass deflections. All-Channel League First Team.
Marilyn Monroy: The second half of the Royals' pass-rushing attack that had quarterbacks on the move often. 88 flag pulls, 18 sacks, 7 pass deflections.
The Dons finished the year with an overall record of 7-14 with a roster that included just three seniors, giving Santa Barbara fans plenty to look forward to in the coming years.
Elina Stump: One of the fastest players in town, who was a big play waiting to happen all year. All-Channel League First Team.
Aurelia Agredano: The leading flag puller who flew around the field for the Dons' defensive unit. All-Channel League First Team.
Camila Salcedo: A contributor on the offensive end and a game-wrecker as a pass rusher. All-Channel League First Team.
Shea Gannon: One of the go-to receivers in the red zone for the Santa Barbara High offense. All-Channel League Second Team.
Laila Hernandez: Quarterback with the ability to deliver a deep ball and scramble out of the pocket. All-Channel League Honorable Mention.