2025 Flag Football Week 6: “Dee-fence!” is Lady Barons’ Shout

Bonita Vista 2023
Bonita Vista’s Serina Esquer (5) calls a play vs Mater Dei in 2024. (Courtesy Meg McLaughlin,  San Diego Union Tribune).

As the section’s only undefeated team, Bonita Vista (12-0) dominates with defense.

Taking advantage of the newly adopted national rules that allow a pass rush without 2024’s mandated, 7-second delay, Ella Gomez leads the section with 37 sacks, and Dariyan Wilson has 17 interceptions. Holding opponents to 6 or less points in 9 of 12 games, and a scoring edge of 353 to 88 is a winning formula.

The next test for the Lady Barons is Mater Dei (10-1), with its 366-46 scoring stat, and 6 points or less in 10 of 11 games, on Oct. 7.

Torrey Pines (14-6) moved up to No. 2 in ratings with a win over Carlsbad (14-4), 25-18.

John Maffei’s The San Diego Union-Tribune Week 6 Girls Flag Football poll, with MaxPreps included:

RANK  TEAM (Record) POINTS MAXPREPS
 1 (1) Bonita Vista (12-0) 9*  100  12
 2 (3) Torrey Pines (14-6) 1*  86  19
 3 (2) Westview (12-2) 1*  81  25
 4 (5) Carlsbad (14-4)  76  24
 5 (7) Cathedral (12-2)  51  46
 6 (4) Grossmont  (13-3)  49  34
 7 (8) Classical (12-8)  46  31
 8 (6) Mission Hills (12-3)  44  45
 9 (9) Calexico Vincent Memorial (13-3)  28  64
 10 (NR) Poway (9-5)  16  100

Previous rank in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
*First-place votes. NR–Not ranked.  MaxPreps’ state ranking as of Sept. 29.

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Steele Canyon (12-4, 10 points), Imperial (14-3, 3), Granite Hills (8-2, 2), Mater Dei (10-1, 1).

VOTING PANEL

Nine sportswriters, sportscasters, and administrators from the San Diego Section, plus MaxPreps:

  • John Maffei (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
  • Giantoni Canales (San Ysidro)
  • Victor Cruz (Imperial)
  • Neil Jamison (Mission Hills)
  • Henrik Jonson (Partletonsports.com)
  • Gary Keeton (San Marcos)
  • Lance Thomas (Carlsbad)
  • Ryan Wiegand (Cathedral)
  • Jason Womack (Escondido).