No. 1 flag football team in the nation is having fun, but wants game to get tougher
The Newport Harbor team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps.
Presley Keeton (11), left, of Newport Harbor runs past the defense of Alex Ortenzo (7) of Marina after intercepting a pass during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Newport Harbor quarterback Maia Helmar (23) passes the ball over the Marina defense during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Presley Keeton (11) of Newport Harbor returns the ball after intercepting a Marina pass during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cooper Dick (1) and Audrey Burns (22) of Newport Harbor collide as they attempt to intercept a pass to Gianna Canale (25) of Marina during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kate Kubiak (4) of Newport Harbor scores a touchdown in a girls flag football game against Marina at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Newport Harbor gather before their game against Marina during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kate Kubiak (4) of Newport Harbor reaches for extra yardage as she’s tackled by Gianna Canale (25) and Bella Rodriguez (15) of Marina during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shelby Nguyen (3) of Marina attempts to avoid being tackled by Kate Kubiak (4) and Audrey Burns (22) of Newport Harbor during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cooper Dick (1) of Newport Harbor catches a pass during a girls flag football game against Marina at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Maddy Michel (2) of Newport Harbor jumps to catch a pass for extra point over Elizabeth Krysinski (20) of Marina but it was called back after the referee said she out of bounds during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Maddy Michel (2) and Kate Kubiak (4) of Newport Harbor celebrate after Kubiak scored a touchdown during a girls flag football game against Marina at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kate Kubiak (4), right, of Newport Harbor runs for yardage as she is chased by Courtney Hames (10) of Marina during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cooper Dick (1) of Newport Harbor catches a pass against the defense of Gianna Canale (25) of Marina during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Newport Harbor head coach Jason Guyser questions a referee’s call during a girls flag football game against Marina at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Presley Keeton (11), left, of Newport Harbor runs past the defense of Alex Ortenzo (7) of Marina after intercepting a pass during a girls flag football game at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Newport Harbor’s team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
NEWPORT BEACH – The Marina quarterback threw a deep pass.
Two Newport Harbor defensive backs went up for the football. They smashed into each other and sent the ball bouncing off the ground along with them.
Somehow neither player was injured. Both got up quickly and were ready for the next play.
Those girls are tough.
It was a Sunset League girls flag football game Wednesday at Newport Harbor High School. The game was played at Davidson Field, where many varsity football games have been played over a few decades.
Newport Harbor, the No. 1 team in MaxPreps.com’s national rankings, beat Marina 18-12. Marina had a 12-6 lead at halftime.
Sailors junior quarterback Maia Helmar threw two second-half touchdown passes to senior receiver Kate Kubiak. Kubiak’s speed and moves were especially impressive on the first touchdown. She took a short pass before dodging Marina players trying to grab a flag for 15 yards on her way to the end zone.
Newport Harbor improved to 16-1 overall and 5-0 in the Sunset League.
Marina sophomore quarterback Mia Valbeuna, also an excellent pitcher on the the school’s softball team, showed off a strong arm as the Vikings slid to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in league.
That collision on the pass play involved Newport Harbor players Cooper Dick and Audrey Burns. The way the players got up like nothing happened supported what Helmar said after the game, that flag football players can handle the physical stuff. She wishes the rules allowed for more of it.
“They can stop making it like we need to be pampered,” Helmar said. “We’re not allowed to dive (to pull) flags and so many other things because they think we’re softer than boys. Diving for flags, that’s where you you can show your athletic ability and how you can set yourself apart from other players.”
Maia Helmar is the quarterback for Newport Harbor’s flag football team, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. (Photo by Steve Fryer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Helmar is a multi-sport athlete like a few other players on Newport Harbor’s team.
Kubiak is a soccer player who got started in flag football with the Matt Leinart flag league.
“This is different because it’s also a hand sport,” Kubiak said. “Because I played before, catching the ball was easy for me but learning plays and playing defense was new to me.”
Newport Harbor’s one loss through Wednesday was to Woodbridge 13-12. The Sailors earlier had defeated Woodbridge by the same score. Newport Harbor got its revenge with a 33-13 win over Woodbridge.
“That was kind of like, ‘we’ve got to get our bragging rights back,” Burns said. “‘We’re the No. 1 team in the nation’ was our mentality. We have fun with that.”
Flag football is the same as tackle football when it comes to the players’ desire to win.
“I think we weren’t on our ‘A’ game,” Helmar said after the game. “I wasn’t throwing as well as usual. We all have our off days, and this was one of our off days.”
FLAG FOOTBALL’S FIRST SEASON
This is the first season in which girls flag football is a CIF sport. It has grown quickly. Tournaments fill many weekend schedules, including this weekend when Mission Viejo hosts a 21-team tournament. The tournament started with pool play Friday and has championship games in three divisions — Gold, Silver and Bronze — on Saturday.
The CIF Southern Section will not have playoffs this year for girls flag football. CIF-SS by-laws require that at least 20 percent of its member schools must field a varsity team in a sport before that sport can have sanctioned playoffs. That 20 percent minimum had not been reached in time for girls flag football to have playoffs this season.
That 20 percent minimum is expected to be easily surpassed for the 2024 season.
Flag football teams are allowed a maximum of 28 games before the season’s final date of Oct. 28. Games are played using a youth-sized football with 20-minute halves on fields that are 30 to 40 yards wide and 50 to 80 yards in length.
The Marina-Newport Harbor game was played on a field that was 40 by 80 yards.
The NFL and others are providing assistance. Under Armour and BSN Sports are helping underwrite the Mission Viejo tournament.
