Santa Barbara High flag football pulled out a 14-12 comeback win over Rio Mesa on Thursday in Oxnard.
After falling behind 12-0 heading into the halftime locker room, the Dons rattled off 14 unanswered points in the second half to earn the Channel League victory.
“Our girls had the fight in them tonight,” Santa Barbara High head coach Travis Mañach said. “Not everything went well, but we didn’t give up and walked away with a tough road win. Great team win.”
After both teams traded possessions to open the second half, the Dons got on the board when Laila Hernandez and Elina Stump connected on a 67-yard touchdown pitch and catch. The duo came together for the extra point to cut the deficit to 12-7.
Santa Barbara High’s defense then came up with a clutch stop and the offense picked up right where it left off.
The Dons got big plays from Alanah Salas and Alyssa Ortiz to set up a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Hernandez to give her team a 13-12 advantage.
Stump then converted the extra point to bring the lead to 14-12 in the fourth quarter.
Rio Mesa had a chance to score a go-ahead touchdown in the final seconds, but Santa Barbara High’s Shea Gannon came through with a flag pull at the 1-yard line to clinch the win for the Dons.
Camila Salcedo was a force on the defensive side of the ball, totaling five sacks for Santa Barbara.