Latest news with #RaiseTheBar
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Defending flag football champion Orange Lutheran aims to achieve even more this season
Last year's theme for the Orange Lutheran flag football team was 'Set the Standard.' The Lancers did just that, finishing 23-2 and defeating Newport Harbor 20-18 to win the inaugural Southern Section Division 1 title and secure the No. 1 ranking in California. Coach Kristen Sherman revealed this season's theme is "Raise the Bar" and, having graduated only one starter, it looks like her team could be even better than a year ago. It may have to be if it wants to defend its crown as the talent throughout the Southland is deeper than ever. 'We're hoping to reach a higher level this year,' said Sherman, whose husband, Rod, is head coach of Orange Lutheran's football squad. 'These new rules change a lot. I may have preferred the old rules, but the girls like punting and returning, so I think it'll be more fun for them.' Since defensive players will now be able to line up six yards closer to the ball, an elite quarterback will be essential, and the Lancers have the best in Makena Cook, the reigning CIF player of the year. On Aug. 6, the two-sport athlete committed to Georgia for soccer, but her focus right now is on a repeat. 'We're definitely better ... but it's a clean slate,' Cook said after tossing six touchdown passes against host Long Beach Poly in a scrimmage Thursday — her first competitive game since November. As a sophomore last season, Cook passed for 6,611 yards and 97 touchdowns, 20 of them caught by All-CIF receiver Julia Oberholtzer (now a senior) who also led the defense with 114 flag pulls and eight interceptions. The Lancers open the season Wednesday at Woodbridge. Sherman once again filled the schedule with quality opponents, including a Sept. 4 clash with Irvine Northwood, which took the Division 2 title last fall thanks to Natalie Keith, who earned division player of the year honors after throwing for five touchdowns in the final against Trabuco Hills. Sherman predicted Trinity League competition will be a 'smack in the face.' JSerra's roster features three incoming freshmen who are members of the 15U junior national team — quarterback Katherine Meier and wide receiver/defensive backs Tessa Russell and Ava Irwin. Kendra Hansen will be a scoring threat every time she touches the ball for Mater Dei, and running the offense at Santa Margarita will be All-CIF senior Madi Lam, who quarterbacked her Conquer Chargers club team at the NFL Flag Championships in Canton, Ohio, in July. Division 1 finalist Newport Harbor graduated All-CIF quarterback Maia Helmar, but sophomore Scarlett Guyser will take over the position. Cooper Dick (a Texas Tech soccer commit) and Maddy Michel are set to be her primary targets. Skylie Cid led the team in touchdowns as a freshman. The Sailors beat Orange Lutheran in triple overtime in a tournament at Beckman over the summer, but Cook did not play. Huntington Beach has all the offensive firepower it needs to challenge Newport Harbor for Sunset League supremacy with the return of Roxie Shaia, who threw for 7,465 yards and 99 touchdowns in 2024, and receiver/safety Taylor Savage, who racked up 1,491 receiving yards. Last fall, Ventura lost a shootout to Huntington Beach in the Division 1 quarterfinals, but the Cougars could ride the arm of senior Ava Ortman to a deeper playoff run in 2025. Statistically, she was one of the best in the section with 6,974 yards, 110 touchdowns and a 141.2 rating. In its opener Thursday, Ventura takes on Camarillo, which has one of the top two-way players in Ventura County in Stella Alessi (41 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season). Long Beach Poly will seek to three-peat in the Moore League, but it will be a taller task without All-CIF quarterback Kenzie Paimany, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament playing soccer. She threw for 60 touchdowns last year. The most versatile player for the Jackrabbits is senior receiver/linebacker Ki'ele Ho-Ching, who has committed to Oklahoma for softball. 'We're hoping she can come back towards the end of the season,' Poly coach Rob Shock said about Paimany. 'We take every game as a tough game. Nothing's given, everything's earned.' Lakewood St. Joseph suffered only one defeat in 22 games last year, however, the Jesters are poised to go further with junior signal-caller Lexi Loya (5,377 yards and 73 touchdowns last fall) throwing to sophomore receiver Jaclyn Brennan (76 catches for 985 yards and 16 touchdowns). The City Section is up to 93 teams, and the one to beat appears to be Narbonne, led by its All-City two-wayers Faith Ugoje, Shayla Rivera and Luna Orozco. The Gauchos beat King/Drew 7-0 for the Division I title last year and twice defeated the 2024 Open Division winner Banning in the summer. Ugoje was chosen Division I player of the year after rushing for 1,660 yards, catching 60 passes for 828 yards and scoring 23 touchdowns as a freshman under City coach of the year Sherrelle Holmes. Also contending for the Marine League crown will be is two-time Open finalist San Pedro. Teams to watch: Orange Lutheran, JSerra, Santa Margarita, Newport Harbor, Mater Dei, Huntington Beach, Northwood, Eastvale Roosevelt, Ventura, Narbonne, Lakewood St. Joseph, Aliso Niguel, Trabuco Hills, Anaheim Canyon. Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Irish Independent
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Waterford girl shows heart, humility, and an unstoppable work ethic in film on her amazing Jiu-Jitsu journey
A Waterford girl who has risen to the top of Jiu-Jitsu will have her extraordinary life portrayed on the silver screen in her native city before going global at film festivals worldwide. A private screening of Freya – Beyond The Mat will take place on May 11 in Waterford. This powerful new feature documentary is directed by Arthur Lopes and produced by Alberto Rocha, chronicling the extraordinary rise of 11-year-old Irish athlete Freya Marsh in the international world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In Freya - Beyond The Mat, audiences are invited into the life of a prodigious young competitor who, at just 11 years old, is not only making her mark in martial arts but also inspiring communities across continents. Hailing from Tramore, Waterford, Freya brings heart, humility, and an unstoppable work ethic to everything she does, whether training at home, competing abroad, or balancing the demands of youth with the intensity of elite-level sport. This 80-minute English-language documentary, filmed between April and December 2024, follows Freya through a year of transformation and triumph. From local tournaments in Dublin to world-renowned competitions in the USA, Portugal, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates, the film captures her journey in vivid detail. Viewers will witness the fierce challenges she faces, the victories that shape her, and the tight-knit support system that makes it all possible. The film reveals Freya's world: the unwavering encouragement from her parents and sisters, her jiu-jitsu coach Wagner Luvezuti from Checkmat Waterford, her strength and condition coach Darragh Mulcahy from Raise The Bar, and the relentless preparation as she eyes future competitions in Brazil, the USA, and Abu Dhabi throughout 2025. As a two-time European Champion and a gold medallist at both the Abu Dhabi Worlds and London Open, Freya has already secured silver at the Pan Americans and a host of national and UK events. Freya is currently ranked the number one yellow belt female in her weight division and number three overall in the world by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. The documentary was produced by Jungle House Films, supported by K&F Concept and in collaboration with Checkmat Waterford. The filmmakers followed Freya and her family across four continents, capturing everything from sleepy Waterford mornings to electrifying moments on championship podiums. The result is a heartfelt, cinematic experience about grit, grace, and the extraordinary journey of an ordinary girl with an extraordinary dream. Director Arthur Lopes offers a deeply personal look at the making of the film, describing it as more than just a sports documentary, it is a story of coming of age, resilience, sacrifices, the silent battles and the quiet strength found in family and purpose. With honesty and care, Lopes brings Freya's world to life, honouring her determination and the spirit of those who support her. ADVERTISEMENT Commenting on the release of the film, Freya said: 'My ambition has always been to pursue my sport and discipline and to think this has been captured for a big screen showcase is really quite incredible.' This is a story that will resonate far beyond the world of sports, inviting audiences to believe in the power of passion, the strength of community, and the courage it takes to dream big. Freya - Beyond The Mat promises to inspire audiences with its powerful narrative of resilience and ambition, celebrating a local hero whose story is making waves far beyond Ireland's shores. Jungle House Films will now bring the film to global film festivals.
