High School Sports

Dimond is back on top of Alaska’s flag football world

The Dimond Lynx are back on top of Anchorage's flag football world, the West Eagles are still looking for their first championship, and an old sports adage remains as viable as ever.

Victoria Johansen rushed 3 yards for the game-tying touchdown and then caught a game-winning, one-point conversion pass with about five minutes remaining to lift the Lynx to a 19-18 victory in Saturday's Cook Inlet Conference championship game at West High.

The victory earned Dimond its sixth title in the 12 years since the sport was initiated in Anchorage high schools.

The loss was the first of the season for the 16-1 Eagles, who beat Dimond (15-2) twice in the regular season but had to settle for runner-up honors for the second year in a row — they lost to Chugiak in last season's title game.

To say the teams were evenly matched is to state the obvious. Their three games were decided by a total of eight points, with West winning the first game by six points and the second by one point — putting the Eagles in the unenviable position of needing to beat the same team three times, a formidable task according to conventional sports wisdom.

"It was a huge factor," Dimond coach Kathleen Navarre said after the game. "The first time we lost to West, the girls cried. I said to them, 'You know what? West is too good of a team and we're too good of a team — no one's gonna win three games.'

"Yesterday at practice I said, 'Does anyone remember what I said after the first time they beat us?' And they said it verbatim. West is a phenomenal team but they were beatable, and I do believe with the talent both teams had, no one was beating anyone three times."

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Dimond scored on the game's first play from scrimmage on a 58-yard run by quarterback Megan Luther. West answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by Isabella Roberts to tie the game, 6-6.

Dimond took advantage of a botched punt to grab a 12-6 lead on a 1-yard run by Luther. West responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Rebecca Syrup to make it 12-12 at the half.

The Eagles claimed their only lead of the game when Sylvia Xaivong returned the second-half opening kickoff 76 yards for an 18-12 lead.

They kept the lead until Dimond's Savanna Wallace gained 40 yards on a catch-and-run to set up Johansen's game-winning touchdown and PAT with about five minutes remaining.

Johansen finished with 35 yards on seven carries and Luther rushed for 102 yards on six carries to power Dimond's offense. Makenna Boring sparked the defense with seven pulls, four of them sacks; Meghen Jones and D'Shanna Schuster each added five pulls.

A trio of senior stars — Syrup, Roberts and Maya Baquiran — led West. Syrup, who shared CIC offensive player of the year honors with teammate Roberts, passed for 101 yards and ran for 32 yards, and Roberts ran for 39 yards. Baquiran grabbed 11 flags, one for a loss.

"Both teams had a great season," West coach Travis Cantrell said. "You beat a team twice, it's hard to come back and beat them a third time. A game like this is so competitive, we knew it could've come down to one point and it did, and we were on the wrong end of it."

CIC flag football Past champions
Year    Winner      Runner Up    Score
2017    Dimond      West             19-18
2016    Chugiak      West             12-7
2015    East             Dimond       19-6
2014    Dimond      Service         6-0
2013    Dimond      South           33-7
2012    Dimond      West             14-6
2011    East             West             13-12 (OT)
2010    Dimond      East              21-15
2009    Dimond      Bartlett        32-12
2008    Chugiak      Bartlett        13-6
2007    Chugiak      Service         33-7
2006    Bartlett      Chugiak        19-18

Beth Bragg

Beth Bragg wrote about sports and other topics for the ADN for more than 35 years, much of it as sports editor. She retired in October 2021. She's contributing coverage of Alaskans involved in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

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