Woodbridge girls flag football team out to defend PCL championship

Woodbridge Coach Mark Thompson takes a brief break during practice Thursday. (Photos: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Woodbridge High School’s girls flag football team is looking to defend its Pacific Coast League title.

The Warriors, coached by Mark Thompson, went through the PCL undefeated with a 12-0 record and also won the PCL post-season tournament last year. The Warriors finished 23-2 overall.

This year, Woodbridge and other girls flag football teams in Orange County will also get to compete in CIF playoffs for the first time.

The sport has the required amount of teams for CIF playoffs. There are 272 girls flag football teams this year and five CIF playoff divisions are planned, according to Thom Simmons, assistant commissioner of the CIF.

“I’m so excited, this is what the girls are playing for,” Thompson said. “They’re just happy we are able to do that. Last year we had a league tournament but CIF playoffs gives us an opportunity to play all these other teams.”

Thompson said it’s possible that players and coaches will find out in the middle of the season what divisions their teams are in.

Woodbridge will look to some new players to lead the way this season.

“Woodbridge has a lot of young talent this year and we are very excited to see them in action,” Thompson said. “Laney Brucker was the JV quarterback last year and will be taking over the varsity team this year. Fellow sophomore Dyllan Harris is another dynamic player joining varsity.

“Also, keep an eye on returners, Mia Thompson, Sophia Penaflor and Zoey Ceman as they will captain the team this year.”

The Warriors are led by Ceman, a senior, who plays receiver and linebacker.

“She is an excellent student and multi-sport athlete who plays both soccer and flag football,” Thompson said. “Zoey earned first team all-league last year for flag football and is an integral part of the team.”

Ceman, who has played flag football at Woodbridge since her freshman year when the sport was a club sport, said she’s looking forward to another year.

“I’m excited for the season,” Ceman said this week after practice. “We have a new quarterback and a lot of returning players, I’m excited for everybody to come back.”

Ceman said she was happy that Woodbridge could win the league title last season in the sport’s first year as a CIF sanctioned sport.

“I’m pretty sure we went undefeated in league,” Ceman said. “The entire time we won, it was very exciting. We had 14 seniors so it was nice to watch them go out on a happy note.”

Ceman is hoping for more success this year.

“I want to win league, it’s a big goal to keep that title going, I have high hopes, I think we will make the playoffs and get far in playoffs too,” she said.

Ceman has enjoyed competing in the growing sport.

“I like the people, I think it’s fun that it’s becoming a bigger sport, a more major sport and it’s going to be an Olympic sport too (in 2028) so it’s fun I get to watch it develop and I get to do it with my friends and it’s fun that everybody from different sports can come by and play and take it a little less seriously, but stay competitive and have fun,” she said.

There will be some new challenges for the Warriors in the Pacific Coast League with the addition of Rosary, Laguna Beach and Sage Hill.

“Our league was realigned so we have some new teams to defend our title against which will be challenging and fun,” Thompson said. “We will start the preseason next week playing against some very talented teams which will be a good test for us as we prepare for league play on Aug. 28 against Rosary Academy. The team has been practicing hard and can’t wait to play.”

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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com