The first-ever CIF Southern Section Open Division girls flag football playoffs began across the region Wednesday. Undefeated top seed JSerra claimed a decisive win over Sierra Canyon to highlight the opening day of pool play.
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. — JSerra remains perfect. The Lions now sit at 25-0 after defeating Sierra Canyon in the opening game of CIF-SS Open Division pool play Wednesday at home. This is the first season the CIF Southern Section has hosted an open division for girls flag football.
In all, there are 12 teams that make up the four pools led by the Lions, which have won 53 consecutive games now. The sport has continued to grow at a rapid pace and Southern California has been the epicenter among the high school ranks.
The MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown featured teams from multiple states participating against one another earlier this fall. JSerra swept the event to claim the title in the first-of-its-kind tournament. The Lions now have their sights set on an open division crown.
Lions Add To Winning Streak As CIF Flag Football Playoffs Begin
The CIF Southern Section features some of the top programs in the country including six teams ranked within the national top 15 by MaxPreps. JSerra is at the top of that list as it continues to work on a 53-game winning streak going back to last season. Its 25th win of the 2026 season came Wednesday night under rainy skies in San Juan Capistrano.
It didn’t take the Lions long to begin putting the pressure on Sierra Canyon (20-6) after jumping out to a commanding 28-0 lead at halftime. Quarterback Kate Meier shined throughout Wednesday’s pool play opener with the sophomore only having 3 incompletions through the opening two quarters.
Meier, a sophomore, wasn’t fazed by the rain and finished the game with 6 touchdowns and 223 yards passing with just 7 incompletions.
“I think the rain just added a bunch of fun to it,” Meier said. “It was just like backyard football. I think we made the most of it, and we mentally prepared for this. We knew that this was coming, and I think that preparation allowed us to execute out on the field.”
JSerra Defense Holds Sierra Canyon In Check To Open Pool Play
Meier and the JSerra offense were able to move the ball up and down the field Wednesday night. Ultimately, the Lions (25-0) jumped out to a 41-0 lead by the end of the third quarter. However, the play of the JSerra defense, which is coached by former NFL defensive back Brian Russell, could not be overlooked in suboptimal conditions in the downpour.
Senior defensive back/receiver Stella Day came up with an impressive interception to highlight the effort. In all, the Lions came away with 9 passes defended working against star Sierra Canyon quarterback Makena Cook.
Sophomore linebackers Abby Vanderweerd and Sterling Flores led the Lions with three passes defended each. They were two of four players with multiple flag pulls in the Pool A victory.
“I think our defense is so solid,” JSerra head coach Brian Ong said. “It’s so well-coached. The girls really love to study the film. They love to understand what an offense is doing, when to make breaks, when to double team somebody.
“They just fly around, they have a lot of fun. Super fun to watch them.”
Makena Cook Opens CIF-SS Flag Football Playoffs With 3-Touchdown Performance
The conditions for most of the Pool A matchup at JSerra made for difficult stretches Wednesday night. The 12th-seeded Trailblazers had issues generating offense for a big portion of the game. The conditions contributed to some miscues on the offensive side of the ball.
However, Cook managed to build momentum late in the contest leading to three unanswered scores to close out the game. The star quarterback, who is committed to play soccer at Georgia, showcased her arm strength and ability to make plays with her feet in the loss. Cook was the first high school flag football player to earn a scholarship from a Power 4 program when Nebraska made the call in the offseason.
She finished the game with 181 yards passing and 3 touchdowns plus 43 yards rushing on 5 carries. The senior, who was previously at Orange Lutheran, also contributed with a pair of flag pulls on defense.
Sierra Canyon, which is in its first year as a flag football program, will face eighth-seeded Edison of Huntington Beach on Saturday. JSerra will square off with Edison next Wednesday to close out pool play. A win by the Lions would secure their spot in the open division semifinals on Oct. 31.
Other CIF-SS Flag Football Playoffs Results
Playoff games for the other six divisions across the CIF Southern Section began play Tuesday. Division 1 features 32 teams with half those groups being knocked out after Round 1. Upland-Western Christian (22-5) and Mission Viejo-Trabuco Hills (13-7) both secured 1-point wins in their opening games over Bishop Amat and Bonita, respectively.
In the open division, No. 2 seed Newport Harbor (24-1) earned 19-6 win over Dos Pueblos (18-4) in Pool B. Third-seeded Orange Lutheran (17-4) took a home victory, 16-12, over visiting Downey (22-5) on Wednesday. The lone upset of the opening day of pool play came in Pool D where Huntington Beach lost to Lakewood-St. Joseph (21-1), 27-26.
The No. 4 seed Oilers will face fifth-seeded Santa Ana-Mater Dei (18-6) next Wednesday needing a win to stay alive in the CIF-SS Open Division girls flag football playoffs. Huntington Beach (21-5) led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter Wednesday.
The winner of all four pools will advance to the open division semifinals on Oct. 31. Point differential, points allowed and points scored will be used as a tiebreaker. The CIF-SS Open Division championship game will take place Nov. 7 at Huntington Beach High School.
