Chaminade switches flag colors mid-game to reach playoffs
Officials ruled the team's orange flags clashed with their shorts, forcing a change that did not stop the 27-20 win over Canyon.
By Giulia Donovan ·
Chaminade’s flag football team faced a technical hurdle on Tuesday afternoon that could have derailed its playoff run. Officials ruled that the team’s orange flags blended in with the orange stripe on their blue shorts during the second quarter. The Chaminade squad swapped the orange equipment for white flags while the game against Canyon of Anaheim was still in progress.
The color change did not affect the final score. Chaminade defeated Canyon 27-20 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinal. This victory marks the first time the program has advanced to the semifinals. Junior Kaitlyn Nelson secured the win by swatting away Canyon’s final pass attempt near the end zone.
Coach Cory Skinner expressed surprise at the ruling but praised the team’s resilience. “I don’t know what that was about,” Skinner said of the flag switch. He noted that the players care deeply for one another, a quality he believes cannot be coached. The Chaminade team now holds a 19-6 record and will host San Clemente on Saturday.
Sophomore Lexi Dozier anchored the defense with four sacks, six pass deflections, and nine flag pulls. She recorded two sacks during Canyon’s second-to-last drive. Dozier stated she entered the game with a mindset that the team would not lose. Her performance helped maintain the defensive pressure required to hold off the opposing offense.
Offensively, freshman Reese Yoast threw three touchdown passes. However, a throw to fellow freshman Hollee Kea with 4:30 remaining narrowed the lead to one possession. Junior Lauren Jesic built the earlier cushion by throwing two touchdown passes in the first half and rushing for two in the third quarter. Jesic completed a 15-yard pass to Nelson three plays after the flag switch and a 31-yard pass to Maeve Enright.
Enright caught the 31-yard pass while wearing a splint on her broken right index finger. She observed that the team has grown accustomed to adapting to changing rules in girls flag football. “Different people have different opinions,” Enright said, noting that officials sometimes allow sunglasses and sometimes do not. The team plays on the fly regardless of the specific regulations.
The semifinals will take place at Huntington Beach High on Nov. 7 if Chaminade defeats San Clemente, who holds a 12-9 record. The team’s advance represents a milestone in its short history. Other quarterfinal results included Valencia beating Compton 19-14 and Quartz Hill defeating Inglewood 25-0.
