Dimond’s Maile Wilcox, Lauren Tufaga and Ayla Ertekin. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report.
The defensive dominance of Maile Wilcox, Lauren Tufaga, Ayla Ertekin and their Dimond High teammates may’ve been the only thing crisper than Thursday evening’s frigid air.
Wilcox and Tufaga also did plenty on offense, and the Lynx added more layers to their Cook Inlet Conference flag football dynasty. As temperatures hovered in the mid-30s around Don Winchester Field at Dimond Alumni Stadium, the home team collected its 10th league championship in 17 years and third consecutive with a 27-9 victory over South.
“It’s really so rewarding,” said Wilcox, a Dimond junior. “Especially because this team has been out here working day after day.”
Wilcox’s stat line just about covered it all. She picked off South’s uber-aerial senior quarterback Olivia Heartwell twice, returning the first for a 10-yard score midway through the second quarter. Wilcox also opened the scoring with a 7-yard pass to senior Ellie Cunningham on a halfback-option play in the first. She also rushed once for a 13-yard gain and finished with four defensive pulls.
You want more defense? Dimond sure did.
Tufaga totaled a team-high eight pulls, which included an astonishing five sacks of Heartwell. Ertekin, Tufaga’s sophomore defensive line mate, scored three sacks of her own and tallied five pulls.
Dimond’s Ayla Ertekin rushes South’s Olivia Heartwell. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report.
Heartwell threw for more than 2,500 yards and 40 touchdowns this season. She couldn’t get revved up in the title game. Tufaga showed the night would be hers by sacking the Wolverines’ signal caller on South’s first two offensive snaps.
“I think it was just effort and playing like it was your last (game),” said Tufaga, a senior. “The great start changed the mood of our entire defense and gave us the confidence boost to pump up all of us.”
Dimond senior quarterback Kali Hibbert scored on a 2-yard run in between the Cunningham and Wilcox touchdowns. The Lynx led 21-0 at halftime all while holding South’s vaunted passing offense to zero yards.
“The tensions were definitely getting high in our huddles that are usually very positive,” said South senior Sierra Sterling. “With the sack after sack and things not going our way, everyone was kind of like ‘whoa, what’s happening?’”
Tufaga caught Hibbert’s 5-yard pass for the third quarter’s only score. Dimond (16-1) salted the triumph away thanks in part to the always-churning legs of junior Mai Mateaki. The running back bell-cowed her way to 21 carries and 147 rushing yards.
Dimond’s Mai Mateaki. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report.
The Wolverines (13-4) captured some slice of solace by scoring the fourth quarter’s lone touchdowns on Heartwell’s 4-yard scoring jaunt.
South successfully scored on a three-point conversion from 20 yards out when Heartwell’s lofted ball found Sterling in the back of the end zone.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Sterling said. “I saw the ball and told myself I’d be really mad if I dropped it – my last play in my last game.”
Sterling said she loved her teammates and especially the opportunity to play flag. Only the CIC supports the game in Alaska, meaning teams can only score conference championships and not state titles. The Alaska School Activities Association can’t sanction the sport for the entire state until it’s available to at least 60% of the population.
Teams in Fairbanks currently play flag football and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley may soon do so as well.
Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report.
“Tonight, was one of the first nights we had a student section cheering,” Sterling said. “We tend to get overshadowed by the boys sports and forgotten.
“But none of that matters. It’s my team that makes this so fun.”
Dimond’s Brad Lauwers is a veteran coach who for decades has instructed athletes in nearly every sport imaginable. He’s teamed with coaches Kathleen Navarre, Kristen Melican-Nevala and others for the duration of CIC flag. Lauwers said the Lynx long ago committed themselves to a desire to be the best and added they’ve been fortunate to have the players to do so with regularity.
He’s also honored to have witnessed so many talented athletes come and go, making the sports stronger year after year.
Since flag football joined the CIC in 2006, Dimond has posted an all-time record of 220-51 for a staggering .811 winning percentage along with reaching double digits in titles.
“Our 10th championship, it’s a real source of pride,” Lauwers said. “I remember when we first started, few possessed real football instincts. Maybe a few here and there.
“Now, we’ll have kids return for next year and it will feel like they’ve already been practicing for two or three weeks. The instincts are all there and (flag football) has become something we all really care about.”
The 2022 CIC champion Dimond Lynx. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report.
ALL-CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
The end of the season brought a conference title to Dimond as well as the arrival of the all-CIC team and awards. The vote of the league coaches featured a few interesting decisions.
Mateaki was one of only three players named to the first-team offense and defense, where she earned distinction as both a running back and linebacker. Eagle River junior Lauren Bodeen (running back-linebacker) and Service junior Sumiko Ramos (receiver-cornerback) joined Mateaki on the exclusive, “playing on both sides of the ball” list.
Also, neither the CIC’s offensive nor defensive players of the year played in the championship bout. Those honors went to East senior Olyvia Mamae (offense) and Service senior Zoe Witter (defense).
East’s Olyvia Mamae. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
The final head scratcher? The coaches didn’t name a single offensive center or guard to the first team. It would be intriguing to see the all-star squad take the field with no one to snap the ball or block.
2022 Cook Inlet Conference
Flag Football
Offensive Player of the Year: Olyvia Mamae, senior, East
Defensive Player of the Year: Zoe Witter, senior, Service
Punter/Kicker of the Year: Anna Rajek, junior, Chugiak
Head Coach of the Year: Tony Maldonado, Service
Assistant Coach of the Year: Kristen Melican-Nevala, Dimond
First Team All-Conference
Quarterback: Kali Hibbert, senior, Dimond; Greta Helgeson, senior, Service; Olivia Heartwell, senior, South; Ariel Misa, freshman, West.
Running Back: Mai Mateaki, junior, Dimond; Oylvia Mamae, senior, East; Lauren Bodeen, junior, Eagle River; Nora Simmons, sophomore, Service.
Receiver: Malamaisaua Matautia, senior, Bartlett; Raighen Wendler, sophomore, Chugiak; Elle Cunningham, senior, Dimond; Sumiko Ramos, junior, Service; Georgia Lantz, senior, South; Sierra Sterling, senior, South; Karsen Beagley, senior, West; Malaetia Reupena-Tuaiao, junior, West.
Kicker: Anna Rajek, junior, Chugiak.
Defensive End/Rusher: Kristine Odsigue, junior, Bartlett; Ayla Ertekin, sophomore, Dimond; Madyson Baker, junior, East.
Linebacker: Mai Mateaki, junior, Dimond; Malie Wilcox, junior, Dimond; Ciznne Mendosa, senior, East; Lauren Bodeen, junior Eagle River.
Cornerback: Sumiko Ramos, junior, Service; Skylar Lind, sophomore, South; Niveah Heartwell, sophomore, South; Re’Zhanai Wyche, freshman, West.
Safety: Aviana Stoute, sophomore, Bartlett; Zoe Winter, senior, Service.