South only won one regular-season game, but the seventh-seeded Wolverines threw an unexpected twist into playoff bracket with a 7-0 upset of second-seeded Bartlett.
"We just put the whole game together," South coach Melanie Sugita said. "We weren't perfect, but we didn't let any big plays go through."
Bartlett was the only team to beat top-seeded Dimond this season, so having the Golden Bears knocked out early may be helpful to the Lynx -- they beat Service Tuesday -- as they pursue their third straight title. Dimond coach Kathleen Navarre isn't one to overlook the lower seeds, though.
"That's why you have to play the games," she said.
In other first-round games, Dimond beat Service, 20-0; West topped Chugiak, 28-14; and East downed Eagle River, 13-0.
Dimond owns the best offense and defense in the CIC, having scored 346 points and allowed 91. With 247 points, West is the only other team to surpass 200, and no other team has allowed less than 100 points.
The Lynx will face East in the semifinals Thursday and West will play South.
South 7, Bartlett 0
South shut out an opponent for just the second time Tuesday, blanking Bartlett 7-0 in the first round of the Cook Inlet Conference flag football playoffs at Tom Huffer Sr. Stadium in Chugiak.
The Wolverines (2-13) seemed a little down during their last practice, Sugita said, as though their season was coming to an end. An emotional pep talk prior to the game seemed to lift their spirits.
"Everyone elevated their game," Sugita said. "The entire offense and defense stepped up."
South struck for the game's only touchdown on a 15-yard pass from Nikki Donaldson to Maddie Jungsworth near the end of the first quarter. A 3-yard quarterback keeper by Donaldson added an extra point, and then it was time for the defense to go to work.
Melanie Mines' two interceptions helped the Wolverines hold off Bartlett (9-6) for three quarters.
Bartlett failed to complete a pass and failed to score in four trips to the red zone.
"They slowed the game down, they worked the clock and they made some plays," said Bartlett coach Steve Stansbury. "We just didn't play well tonight. It happens."
Dimond 20, Service 0
Dimond's title defense started slowly Tuesday at Dimond Alumni Field, as eighth-seeded Service kept the top-seeded Lynx off the scoreboard through one quarter. But Dimond turned things around with two quick second-quarter touchdowns and cruised to a 20-0 win.
Mary Vaitohi busted loose for a 34-yard touchdown run for Dimond's first score and Colleen Fairchild made the first of her two interceptions a few minutes later, returning it 25 yards for a touchdown.
Jaley Bozeman added a 14-yard touchdown run in the second half, and the Dimond defense, led by interceptions from Aminata Cole and Ronya Hidalgo, did the rest. Haley Martin made a team-high six pulls and Gabby Coleman chipped in five.
West 28, Chugiak 14
The West defense managed five interceptions Tuesday, sparking a second-half comeback victory over Chugiak at Dimond Alumni Field.
The 28-14 win included two interceptions by Dani Levine and one apiece from Alexandria Rojas, Crystal Nidoy and Kelly Cantrell. Levine and Nidoy each returned picks for touchdowns in the second half to help the Eagles overcome a 14-7 halftime deficit.
"Defense hung in there and we finally quit making mistakes offensively," West coach Travis Cantrell said. "My kids are stoked."
West improved to 10-5 and Cantrell said it's the best record his team has had in his five years at the helm.
Anna Sophia Roberts, who finished with 92 rushing yards on 10 carries, scored the game's first touchdown, but Chugiak (7-8) bounced back with two unanswered scores, including a 93-yard pass play that tied the score at 7-7.
West ran for 183 yards on 26 carries, with Levine racking 42 yards on 10 carries. Rojas led the Eagles in receiving with three catches for 33 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass from Levine in the second half. Roberts led the West defense with nine pulls and Mimi Troxel contributed five.
East 13, Eagle River 0
East scored two first-half touchdowns Tuesday to beat Eagle River on a chilly evening at Tom Huffer Sr. Stadium.
The 13-0 win came courtesy of two touchdown passes, a 17-yarder and an 8-yarder with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.
"They caught the ball, we didn't," Eagle River coach Matt Turner said. "They dealt with the cold better than we did. A bad way to end a good season."
Eagle River's Skylar Metzl and Paulette Mordini each made interceptions to keep the Wolves (8-7) in the game.
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