The inaugural flag football season for Oak Park could not have been much better. The Eagles culminated their season by winning the first Channel League title and proved the program belonged in the top team conversation.
This season, the CIF Southern Section will hold playoffs for the first time and the Eagles are looking forward to battling for a CIF championship. The playoff pairings will be released Saturday and the playoffs begin Oct. 22.
Oak Park is in third place in the league standings, behind Camarillo and Royal, heading into Tuesday’s league finale. The Eagles will be home against Royal at 7:15 p.m. in a game that could have playoff seeding implications.
As it currently stands, the Eagles have an 8-9 overall record (4-3 in league). The Eagles went 11-5 (6-2 in league) last season.
The Scorpions (18-7, 6-1) and Highlanders (6-3, 5-2) are both ahead of the Eagles and played each other on Friday. Camarillo won the contest 43-6.
“We’re all fighting injuries this time of year,” said Eagles head coach Shawn Alikian said. “Royal lost a key player. It’s going to come down to that last game against them and it’s really going to determine how playoffs are going to be.”
While the losses have surmounted their total from last season, the Eagles still have come up with some big wins. The Eagles took down Newbury Park 32-13 on Sept. 3 and Simi Valley 27-8 on Sept. 5.
Even though the Eagles had a crushing loss against Agoura, the Chargers considered them one of the toughest teams they have faced this season.
The Eagles’ success has been a team effort from a roster that is loaded with young talent.
Related Articles
Newbury Park girls flag football wins back-to-back titles in Coastal Clash Tournament
Marmonte League’s flag football championship game gave a glimpse of the future
Daily News Girls Athlete of the Week: Claire Heisinger, Agoura
Agoura flag football reaching new heights with receiver Jessie Giacomazzi
Daily News girls flag football: West Ranch, Hart take early control of Foothill League
Four sophomores — Sophia Casella (receiver/corner), Shaila Esparza (running back/safety), Claire Murray (receiver/safety) and Emma Chen (linebacker) — have led the Eagles on offense and defense.
At the very least, the Eagles’ future looks bright.
“We are very fortunate to have such young players playing at a high level,” said Alikian. “They make such a difference. This will ensure many years of success for our program. We’ve got a long road ahead.”
