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ORANGE — Late in the fourth quarter, a player on JSerra’s girls flag football team told coach Brian Ong that she felt a bit nervous. Ong replied that the Lions were right where they wanted to be Tuesday night, playing an anticipated Trinity League game before a large crowd.
“This is why you play,” the coach said.
JSerra’s young squad matured under the spotlight and defeated top-ranked Orange Lutheran 18-7 in a clash of undefeated teams at Orange Lutheran High.
JSerra (20-0, 2-0), ranked No. 2 in Orange County and the nation according to MaxPreps, intercepted four passes and posted a shutout in the second half against Orange Lutheran (18-1, 1-1). The Lancers entered the showdown ranked No. 1 in the county and nation.
All three of JSerra’s touchdowns were scored by freshmen: Tessa Russell, Kate Meier and Ava Irwin.
All four of the Lions’ interceptions also came from freshmen: Russell (two), Irwin and Sterling Flores.
“It’s a great win,” said Ong, whose players rushed the field to celebrate. “And I want them to enjoy it. Sports are meant to be fun, and you’re in this environment. You’re playing the No. 1 team in the nation. You don’t get that opportunity very often.”
“But at the same time,” the coach added, “we’re going to play Orange Lutheran (again) in 10 days and we might play them in CIF. I don’t want to over-hype it because it’s Round 1 of maybe Round 3.”
Russell sparked JSerra late in the first quarter by returning an interception about 34 yards for a touchdown with 3:24 left.
The speedy Russell made a strong break on the ball and raced untouched into the end zone.
“She has gears,” Ong said of Russell, the daughter of former NFL safety Brian Russell (Bishop Amat). “She’s so quick off her step.”
Orange Lutheran responded on its ensuing possession. The Lancers drove for a 7-yard touchdown pass from Makena Cook to Josie Anderson on fourth-and-goal. Ava Harrison caught the 1-point conversion to give Orange Lutheran a 7-6 lead.
The Lancers almost grabbed more momentum before halftime. The reigning CIF-SS Division 1 champion blocked a punt but JSerra’s GG Szczuka alertly caught the deflection as the Lions maintained possession and ran out the clock going into halftime.
“That was a big play,” Orange Lutheran coach Kristen Sherman said of Szczuka’s grab.
The Lions carried the momentum in the second half.
Meier capped the opening drive with a 2-yard touchdown run on fourth down for a 12-7 lead.
After Irwin broke up a pass on third down to force an Orange Lutheran punt, she punctuated the ensuing drive by making a leaping, 22-yard touchdown catch on pass from Ava Van Heerde. The Lions led 18-7 early in the fourth.
“Ava just goes and gets it,” Ong said of Irwin, whose brother Trent (Hart) played wide receiver in the NFL.
On Orange Lutheran’s next possession, Flores helped seal the victory with a interception with 8:45 left in the fourth. The Lions then featured Szczuka and Katelyn Romano – their lone senior — to burn more than six minutes of clock.
JSerra plays host to Orange Lutheran in the second round of league on Oct. 9.
“The goals are still the goals,” Sherman said. “All we have to do is continue to get better. It’s a good lesson, too, that (we) have to take care of the football.”