NEW BELL IN TOWN: Flag football institutes “Lady Belle Game”
BRAWLEY – The first-ever Lady “Belle Game” between the Brawley Union High School Lady Wildcats and Central Union High School Spartans was played here on Saturday, October 14 at Warne Field.
With the newly purchased victory bell standing proudly on the sidelines, Brawley claimed the trophy in the first ever Brawley versus Central flag football game playing for the “Belle,” with the Lady Wildcats victors over the Lady Spartans by a score of 40-6.
“I played in the Bell Game for Brawley and it had the same feel, the same excitement,” Brawley flag football Coach J. J. Galvan said, “and this had all the makings of a Bell Game. We had the biggest crowd of the season so far and it was a great atmosphere.”
The game was the fourth overall meeting between the two schools for the inaugural 2023 flag season, as the two Southeastern Conference teams played their non-league schedule against each other. As with the traditional tackle football Bell Game, this was the second Imperial Valley League game between the two teams.
Brawley senior Maliyah Jackson was the offensive star for the Brawley, having hauled in four touchdown passes from junior quarterback Breanna Montano. Monta
no passed for 320 yards and rushed for 32 yards against the Spartans.
“Maliyah connected well with Bree (and it) was working for us,” Galvan said. “Melia also had two interceptions and our defense played well overall.”
Montano led the Wildcats to a 26-0 halftime lead, and in addition to connecting with Jackson, Breanna tossed touchdown passes to Brawley freshmen Demi Cornejo and Tayana Venegas.
Central’s lone score came on the last play of the game, when Spartan junior quarterback Madelyn Morquecho
found fellow junior Azul Amador on an inside slant pattern for a touchdown.
For Central, Coach Crystal Cortez, who attended Calexico High School, said the experience of a Bell Game came last year when she was an assistant coach for the Spartan boys freshman team.
“I never participated in a Bell Game but I went to the one last year and (from there) I came to realize what a big deal it is,” Cortez said. “The team, of course, was into the rivalry, and I’m coaching with two Central alumni. They know it’s just part of the culture so everybody was up.”
In other IVL action last week, on Monday, the Lady Wildcats defeated the Holtville High Vikings 32-0, as Central downed the Southwest High Lady Eagles by a score of 20-13.
In addition, on October 11 the Calexico High Lady Bulldogs defeated the Vincent Memorial Catholic High Scots by a score of 27-8, while on Thursday, October 12, Brawley won 32-0 over Southwest as Central prevailed over Holtville, 26-0.
This week in flag football action on Wednesday, October 18, Central (10-7, 7-3 IVL) hosts Calexico (12-2, 7-1 IVL)
at Cal Jones Field in El Centro, while the Imperial High Tigers (7-8, 5-4 IVL) host the Holtville Lady Vikings (0-14, 0-9 IVL) at Simpson-Shimamoto Field in Imperial.
On Thursday, October 19, Southwest (4-14, 2-9 IVL) hosts Vincent Memorial (76, 3-5 IVL), while the Lady Wildcats of Brawley (13-3, 8-1 IVL) have a bye.
All flag football games are scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start.