Last Wednesday afternoon in El Centro saw another flag football first take place in the sport’s inaugural season of 2023 at Southwest High’s Eagle Field as two Imperial Valley League flag teams hosted a first-ever non-league doubleheader against a San Diego County opponent.
In two separate games, the Classical Academy of Escondido Caimans (13-0, 4-0 Pacific League) defeated the Calexico High Bulldogs by a score of 32-19, then shut out the host Eagles by a score of 32-0 in the second game.
In a rare occurrence in any sport, Classical, a free public charter school, originally reached out to Calexico to see about a game and offered to travel to the Valley and were interested in adding a second game and Southwest jumped on board.
Despite the losses, playing Classical Academy should bode well for both schools come what has now been officially announced as a two-division flag football playoffs beginning in November.
Calexico leads the IVL in games outside the Valley as they traveled in September to compete in a flag football tournament sponsored by the Los Angeles Rams at Loyola Marymount College, going undefeated in their three games.
Calexico has been fueled on offense by sophomore captain and quarterback Giovanna Ortiz. Ortiz has completed 161 of 213 passes for a 76% completion rate, and has thrown 31 touchdown passes against nine interceptions.
In other Imperial Valley League flag football action last Thursday night on October 5, both teams rebounded from their loss to Classical Academy, with Calexico (10-2, 6-1 IVL) posting a 28-20 IVL victory over the Imperial Tigers (6-8, 4-5 IVL) at home on Ward Field, while Southwest (3-10, 1-6 IVL) defeated the visiting Holtville Vikings (0-12, 0-7 IVL) by a score of 14-0 at Eagle Field in El Centro.
Meanwhile in their only IVL flag game last week, the Brawley High Wildcats (11-3, 6-1 IVL) remained in a first-place tie with Calexico as the Lady Wildcats traveled to Imperial and defeated the Tigers by a score of 35-0.
This week in IVL action on Wednesday, October 11, Vincent Memorial Catholic (7-4, 3-3 IVL) will host Calexico at Eagle Field in El Centro at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday night, October 12, Brawley travels to meet Southwest in El Centro at 7:30 p.m., while Holtville hosts the Central High Spartans (7-6, 4-2 IVL) at Birger Field at 7:00 p.m.
