Fullerton’s memorable season ends with loss to Santa Monica in CIF Division 4 final

Fullerton coaches and players deal with Saturday’s loss to Santa Monica. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

It was a tough ending to the season for Fullerton High School’s talented girls flag football team Saturday in the CIF Division 4 finals at Fred Kelly Stadium.

The Indians lost to Santa Monica, 28-6, but their fans applauded the efforts of the players after they left the field and posed with pictures.

Fullerton had its 11-game winning streak snapped by Santa Monica, which claimed the inaugural CIF title with its 12th consecutive win. The final capped the first year of CIF playoffs for the sport.

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“We won 11 games in a row and we were able to put it together,” Fullerton Coach Frank Ramirez said after the game. “Today, we just couldn’t score for some reason in the red zone. I thought we matched up well with them, I just don’t think we had a great day in the red zone.

“We threw a couple interceptions, we left the ball on the 3-yard line and we didn’t score. I’ve always told my offensive coordinator in flag football you have to score at least four touchdowns to win a game. We’ve done that 11 weeks in a row and today we just weren’t able to do it. It just wasn’t our day today.”

Santa Monica (14-6) scored on its first drive when quarterback Anica Mendes connected with Chloe Sanders on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 16:32 left in the first half.

Fullerton (18-7) cut the lead to 7-6 when quarterback Ava Flores hooked up with Alynna Ortiz on a 9-yard touchdown pass but the Indians were unable to make the point after.

“We started off very well and we’re usually a second half team,” Ramirez said. “But we just couldn’t get it going today, but I’m still proud of the girls. The girls are all wonderful, I’m going to miss our seniors, I hurt for our 10 seniors because they were only able to play one season (under the playoff format).”

On Fullerton’s next possession, Jayla Johnson-Lake intercepted a pass and Santa Monica converted the turnover into a TD when Kyla Cotton hauled in a 5-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-6 with 1:55 left.

Mindes threw two more TD passes in the second half, one to Sanders and another to Johnson-Lake to seal the win.

“I think it’s a really cool experience, to get here the girls had to practice and put so many hours in and the coaches just helped us along the way and corrected us, they really worked hard,” said Flores, Fullerton’s sophomore quarterback.

Ramirez, the coach, said he’s looking forward to next season. The team will have lots of returning players and will be missing just one senior starter from this year.

“I’m sad that it’s over because it’s been so awesome to establish relationships with 50 girls and 50 sets of parents and the community, the community really supported the girls,” he said. “It’s been a fun season and I don’t know what to do with my time now because it’s over.”

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