Edison girls’ flag football edges Thousand Oaks in first-ever playoff game

Edison High girls’ flag football coach Tatum Etchegoyen-Springer said she thinks Riley Crooks is as good at flag football as she is at soccer.

Told her coach’s remarks, Crooks just laughed.

“I don’t know about that,” the Chargers senior said. “Maybe if I commit to a college for flag football, then you can say that.”

Crooks is headed to Texas A&M as a soccer defender, but her coach is correct that she’s also a lockdown defender in flag football.

Athletes are going to athlete.

Edison’s Sinalei Rogers and Maddy Ryan (27) run in to celebrate a interception that stopped a drive by Riley Crooks (88), during the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 girls’ flag football playoffs Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Crooks had three interceptions, including one with a minute left in the game, to help Edison pull out a thrilling 13-12 win over visiting Thousand Oaks on Tuesday evening in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.

Edison (14-13) will play at Downey in the second round Saturday at 2 p.m.

With this being the first year of the girls’ flag football CIF playoffs, Edison made history Tuesday by notching its first playoff victory. That means a lot to Etchegoyen-Springer, a first-year head coach who graduated from Edison in 2015.

Her defense has helped the Chargers turn their season around after starting 2-10. Edison has now won 10 of its last 11 games, including a 26-19 tiebreaker win over Los Alamitos on Oct. 16 just to finish fourth in the tough Sunset League and earn a playoff spot.

Edison’s Katelyn Chantha (20) makes a move on Thousand Oaks’ Morgan Casillas (9) for a big gain during Tuesday’s game.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

A month earlier, the Chargers had lost 27-0 to the rival Griffins.

“They fully came together as a team and started to believe in each other,” Etchegoyen-Springer said. “As soon as they believed in each other, we haven’t been able to be stopped.”

Edison led 7-6 at halftime Tuesday, as junior quarterback Avea Niumata found sophomore Sadie Olivares on a short touchdown pass. The conversion pass to Katelyn Chantha was also successful.

Etchegoyen-Springer said the team calls the shifty Olivares by the nickname of Shakira, because her hips are tough to beat.

“Her ability to drop a hip, and then explode out of that drop, is something that I haven’t seen anyone else do across all of our games that we’ve played,” Etchegoyen-Springer said.

Edison quarterback Avea Niumata (15) is all smiles after a touchdown in Tuesday’s game.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Thousand Oaks took a 12-7 lead midway through the second half, as quarterback Lexi Lewis threw a touchdown pass to Sheyla Espinoza. Edison was forced to punt on its next possession, until Crooks turned defense into offense.

She intercepted a short pass over the middle and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Chargers the lead back.

“We can always count on her,” Etchegoyen-Springer said. “I can pull her aside and say, ‘Hey Riley, I need something from you right now.’ And she goes, ‘OK, yes coach.’ [She’s] not like, ‘Oh, God, that’s a lot of pressure.’ She takes it, she knows what she has to do and she’s done that for us all year long.”

Thousand Oaks (5-8), the Marmonte League runner-up, got the ball back and got to around midfield. But Edison junior Sinalei Rogers batted a fourth-down pass over the middle away, giving the hosts the ball back with about 3:15 to play.

Edison’s Sadie Olivares (2) makes a move on Thousand Oaks’ Tessa Manumalo (8) during Tuesday’s game.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Rogers had been called for a couple of pass interference penalties earlier in the game, but came through when the team needed her most.

“I had to make it up, because I was struggling a little bit,” said Rogers, who also plays softball for Edison. “But I didn’t let it get to me. The coaches were like, stay locked, stay locked, so I did my best to follow her. I saw it coming and I just stuck my hand out there.”

Edison punted the ball back to Thousand Oaks in the final two minutes, but the Lancers couldn’t get a first down. Edison’s Brooklyn Carpentier and Tegan Sjollema broke up consecutive passes on second and third down, before Crooks’ third interception of the game sealed the deal.

Edison’s Riley Crooks (88) makes one of her three interceptions, this one for a touchdown, during Tuesday’s game.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Dru Niumata, the father of Avea Niumata and Edison football senior quarterback Savelio Niumata, guides the Edison defense.

“It’s really been great,” Crooks said of the pairing of Etchegoyen-Springer and Niumata. “They work really well together. They both have a history with football, so we’ve really been able to learn with them.”

Estancia 39, San Jacinto Valley Academy 6: Eagles quarterback Jaydin McClure threw for 224 yards and six touchdowns in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs Tuesday at Estancia High.

Aisleen Avalos had six catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns, while Crystal Rodriguez had three catches for 49 yards and a pair of scores.

Peyton Thomas and Kate Jennis also caught touchdown passes for Estancia (17-6), the Coast League champion.

The Eagles host Santa Monica in the second round Saturday at noon.