ESCONDIDO — For Torrey Pines flag football, the third time was the charm. After falling short in the previous two CIF San Diego Section Division I championship games, the Falcons finally broke through Saturday evening, defeating Westview 20-13 on neutral turf at Escondido High School to capture the title.
“To me, it means everything,” Torrey Pines head coach Ryland Wickman said. “This was my third in a row. I don’t know what I’d feel if we lost again, so it felt really nice to get that monkey off our back and feel like we achieved a little something.”
Torrey Pines jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but Westview answered, closing the gap to 14-13 by halftime.
The Falcons’ defense, as it had in every playoff game, stepped up again, pitching its third straight second-half shutout and forcing turnovers on Westview’s final three possessions. Senior captain and safety Kate Flynn came up with two interceptions.
“Our practice before the game was horrible — offensively, it was horrible,” Wickman said. “But on defense, we had a really good practice, so I felt okay going in. Offensively, I know they’re going to pick it up more in the game — it’s more of a game thing than practice. I was really excited about how they responded and how they finished. The defense sealed the deal.”
On offense, junior running back Alexa Avila scored twice, including an 80-yard touchdown on a direct snap.
“Lexi, our all-league, all-offense running back, she went off again,” Wickman said. “She scored two touchdowns, including a huge 80-yard run. She’s just been a star, carrying us through.”
Senior wide receiver Catherine Toneli scored the Falcons’ third touchdown.
“The big thing with this one — and what honestly hurt me in the last two finals — was turnovers,” Wickman said. “This time, we were able to avoid those major mistakes.”
Reaching the finals required a minor miracle in the semifinals, when the Falcons needed a last-second Hail Mary from freshman quarterback Izzie Dieter to sophomore Becca Clayton to beat Mission Hills 27-21.
“The play before that almost ended in a pick — she threw it short in the end zone,” Wickman said. “But on the final play, we told our quarterback, ‘Just get the ball up, don’t worry about a sack — see what happens.’ She did a great job buying extra time, rolled to her left, and then threw it 40 yards to her right. When I saw it go, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I think we got it.’ Our girl jumped up, snatched it over two defenders, and landed just inside the sideline. It was amazing — and it gave us some serious momentum going forward.”
Dieter, a 14-year-old freshman with a big arm but raw talent, has what Wickman calls a true “gunslinger” mentality, often looking to make big plays.
“She wants to make a spectacular play every single down,” Wickman said. “Our biggest thing right now is teaching her that it’s okay to throw a check-down, and that it’s okay just to be part of the offense.”
Wickman said playing Westview just three days after facing Mission Hills was fortuitous, given the similarity in playing style and roster makeup.
“Similar to Mission Hills, Westview has tall athletes and a mobile quarterback,” Wickman said. “That worked in our favor, because I didn’t have to game-plan as much as I would for a team with a completely different offense. Still, I reminded the girls — for many, it was their second final in a row — that we had to be ready and bring our best, because on any given day, if we don’t, we could lose.”
With 30 players on the roster, this was the largest flag football team Torrey Pines has ever fielded, and nearly half the squad were seniors.
“There were a lot of seniors on the team, so it was nice to be able to finish it with them,” Wickman said. “For them to make some history and earn the first girls flag football championship for Torrey Pines — it’s always special to be the first to do anything.”
