Santa Monica High's girls' flag football season ended Tuesday, Oct. 20, with a 7-0 loss to Segerstrom in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.
The Vikings hosted the game but played without junior quarterback Belle Walker, who was injured and unavailable, The Samohi reported. Segerstrom scored just once, but Samohi's offense could not answer.
The Samohi reported that the defense kept the Vikings competitive. Emily Feldman picked off two passes in the first quarter, and senior Rosita Garcia grabbed a third interception with about 10 minutes remaining. None of the turnovers led to points.
"Our defense played phenomenal," head coach Ramsey Lambert told The Samohi. "Just missed a couple of plays that allowed them to get on the board before us and almost set us up for some early touchdowns too."
The Vikings finished 14–5 overall and went undefeated at 6–0 in Ocean League play, according to MaxPreps.
That league title caps a strong run. The program entered the season chasing a fourth consecutive Ocean League championship after winning three straight, according to The Samohi. Lambert, in his fourth year as head coach, got it.
Segerstrom came in at 14-7 overall and 10-2 in the Empire League, per the CIF bracket.
The playoff exit stings for a young roster, but Lambert pointed to the team's youth as reason for optimism. He said the focus shifts to next season and improving execution.
In coverage published Oct. 14, Walker said, "I feel like we have a pretty young team, but we've been together for a really long time. So I think we're better than last year, and I hope we're gonna keep getting better."
Walker and Feldman, both juniors, are set to return. Garcia was one of three seniors honored at the team's Oct. 6 senior night, a 46-0 shutout of Leuzinger that extended a seven-game win streak.
The CIF Southern Section finals are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7.
