First week of Southern Section flag football playoffs creates excitement and upsets

The first round of the inaugural CIF Southern Section Division 1 girls’ flag football playoffs on Saturday produced several upsets, many exciting finishes and plenty of touchdowns, including two by Ventura receiver Kaiya Cooke, in a 28-20 victory over Agoura.

In a showdown featuring two of the best pass catchers in the state, Cooke had nine receptions — the most spectacular coming on the final play of the first half when she outjumped two defenders in the end zone on a Hail Mary from quarterback Ava Ortman to give the host Cougars a 14-8 lead.

“I don’t think Ava was looking for me specifically, it was really whoever was open but my coach told me that on plays like that it’s like grabbing a rebound in basketball … you just go up and get it,” said Cooke, who also plays guard on the school basketball team along with Ortman. “Ava and I have a great friendship and a great bond.”

The two connected again on fourth and goal at the one-yard line as Cooke caught a quick slant to increase the Cougars’ lead to 21-8 with 11:30 left in the second half. Ortman, who entered the game as the section leader in total offensive yards with 7,725 (6,379 passing and 1,346 rushing) scored on a reverse and added the one-point toss to Cooke for a 28-14 lead with 1:14 left.

As first-string quarterback Claire Heisinger watched on crutches from the sideline, Addison Kloch, who is an elite golfer, filled in admirably for the Chargers. It helped having Jessie Giacomazzi at receiver as the senior made 10 grabs, two of them for touchowns, the last from a yard out with four seconds left. Giacomazzi entered the game as the national leader in receiving yardage (3,143) and a state-best 53 touchdown catches.

Heisinger fractured her tibia in a knee-to-knee collision Oct. 5 at the Hueneme tournament, also against Ventura. She ranks sixth in offensive yards with 5,809 of her 6,033 coming via the pass.

Makayla Halley caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Ortman and tied the score 8-8 with the two-point grab midway through the first half.

“We had a week of practice [before playoffs] and studied a lot of their plays,” said Cooke, whose team beat the Marmonte League champions twice in the regular season. “We know they’re a really good team.”

One of three Channel League teams in the 16-team bracket, Ventura will take on third-seeded Huntington Beach in the quarterfinals Tuesday. The Oilers outscored Western Christian 29-21 earlier in the day.

Top-seeded Orange Lutheran defeated Roosevelt for the second time this season, 44-12, setting up a quarterfinal matchup against Corona del Mar, which upset previously unbeaten Lakewood St. Joseph, 20-13.

In another surprising result, Freeway League champion Anaheim Canyon knocked off fourth-seeded JSerra, 19-14, and will face Santa Margarita, a 33-14 winner over San Marcos, which was third in the Channel League behind Ventura and Dos Pueblos.

Dos Pueblos beat South Coast League champion Aliso Niguel 39-6 to set up a quarterfinal matchup against second-seeded Newport Harbor. The Sunset League champion Sailors got past Coastal Canyon League winner Camarillo 19-14 for their 22nd straight win.