Torrey Pines Advances: Falcons Seek Third Straight Section Title
A 28-17 win over Carlsbad sends the Falcons to the championship game against an 18-1 Helix team on Saturday.
By Tunde Bailey ·
Torrey Pines flag football has secured its fourth straight appearance in the CIF-San Diego Section Open Division championship game after beating Carlsbad 28-17 on Tuesday night. The Falcons will now face Helix at 6 p.m. Saturday at Olympian High School in Chula Vista, aiming to repeat the program's previous success in this division.
Sophomore quarterback Izzie Dieter led the offensive surge, throwing four touchdown passes to build a decisive lead. She connected with Lilou Briere and Ollie Chontos early to put Torrey Pines up 14-0. Although Carlsbad responded to narrow the gap to 14-7, Dieter found Cambry Wamstad and Claire McEvoy to extend the advantage to 28-7. The Falcons held off late efforts from the Lancers, who attempted two dynamic kickoff plays designed to regain possession for their team. Torrey Pines stopped both attempts to seal the win.
The victory marked the Falcons' second win over their Avocado League rivals this season and improved their record to 15-8. Head coach Ryland Wickman noted that Carlsbad has evolved its offense since the start of the year, utilizing its young athletes more frequently. He described the match as the competitive contest he anticipated, given the familiarity between the two league opponents.
Dieter continues a personal streak of at least 50 touchdown passes in consecutive seasons. Wickman observed that her confidence, defensive reading skills, and leadership have all improved. He emphasized that the players are driving the team's preparation, noting that they declined an afternoon off on Wednesday to practice and study film.
The Falcons enter Saturday's game as the defending Div. I section champions. They finished as runners-up in the program's first two years before claiming the title last season. The upcoming opponent, Helix, holds an 18-1 record and finished 8-0 in the Grossmont Hills League. The Highlanders are led by senior quarterback Vida Sanchez, who has accounted for 73 passing and rushing touchdowns and nearly 5,000 yards of offense this season. Receiver Kaiya Merlo has caught 117 passes for 28 touchdowns.
Wickman acknowledged the physical nature of Helix's football and the athletic ability of their quarterback. He said the Falcons must control Sanchez and their top receiver to have a chance. He stated that every remaining team in the bracket is strong and that the players are ready to show up prepared.
