Oliver Fell is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism Student assigned to cover Sierra Linda High School for azpreps365.com

Though overall the game was a close contest, the Sierra Linda Bulldogs made the most of a handful of impactful plays to secure the road victory Tuesday night in Tempe.

After losing their previous games each by 20 or more points, the Bulldogs traveled west to Tempe High School and beat the Tempe Buffaloes 6-0, securing their first program.

Despite a bus scheduling error that resulted in the Sierra Linda team arriving two and a half hours early to the game, coach Daniela DeJesus’s squad seemed unintimidated and came out of the gates swinging.

The Bulldogs outgained the Buffaloes through the air 64 yards to 2 in the first half with senior quarterback Mae Enriquez collecting most of those yards on a 48-yard touchdown pass to Bulldogs receiver Kalea Jackson with 5 minutes, 49 seconds left to play in the second quarter. Although an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the celebration pushed back the try and kept Sierra Linda from scoring the extra point, the 6-point lead gave them advantage they would never relinquish.

The first half was heavily controlled by the Bulldogs. Sierra Linda never allowed Tempe to reach its red zone at any point in the first half despite plenty of Tempe yardage on the ground spearheaded by junior Daniella Topete, who took 5 carries for a combined 46 yards before the halftime buzzer sounded.

But the second half told a different story, as Tempe began to close in on a couple of scores. The Buffaloes came up just short on a 4th and goal when junior quarterback Armanda White ran for 11 of the 13 required yards and was tackled by Bulldogs defender Cecilia DeLeon at the 2-yard line to turn the ball over to Sierra Linda on downs. Another close scoring opportunity for the Buffaloes came when White dialed up a long ball to junior receiver Coral Garcia Miranda for a 55-yard play which was nearly a touchdown had it not been for Bulldogs corner Esther Fiamengo grabbing Miranda’s flag as the last player to beat.

The Sierra Linda Bulldogs bench celebrates Kalea Jackson's 48-yard touchdown reception Tuesday night in Tempe. (Oliver Fell photo/AZPreps365)In the fourth quarter, Tempe found itself inside the 20-yard line with a chance to tie and possibly take the lead. A penalty paired with a sack from Enriquez and a tackle in the backfield from LeJannell Rosales was enough to keep the Buffaloes out of the endzone for yet another turnover on downs.

The Buffaloes did have one final chance when they took over possession with 48.1 seconds left and one timeout on the Bulldogs’ 45-yard-line. Their plans were quickly thwarted as a pass popped out of a Buffaloes receiver’s hands and into the outstretched arms of Fiamengo to effectively secure the Bulldogs their first-ever program win in flag football.

Sierra Linda defender Cecilia DeLeon de-flags Tempe quarterback Armanda White at the 2-yard line, preventing a Tempe touchdown on 4th and Goal. (Oliver Fell photo/AZPreps365)“It feels great,” Sierra Linda head coach Diana DeJesus said. “It feels like a huge accomplishment because these girls have been working really hard and each game we’ve played they have grown.”

Although the scoreboard may give the impression that the game was heavily defensive, that is not necessarily true. Senior receiver Jackson racked up 87 receiving yards in the game including the lone scoring play of the contest. Senior quarterback/pass-rusher Enriquez threw for 77 yards and a touchdown, adding onto that with 30 rushing yards and even a sack on defense.

Sierra Linda cornerback Esther Fiamengo prepares to make the game-sealing interception in the final minute of the game Tuesday night in Tempe. (Oliver Fell photo/AZPreps365)On the Tempe side of the stat sheet, senior Crystal Hernandez stands out with 44 yards on just six carries. Despite a slow start, junior quarterback White amassed 63 passing yards and 11 rushing yards in the contest as well.

The Sierra Linda Bulldogs (1-2) will hope to carry this momentum into their road game on Wednesday against the 1-2 McClintock High School Chargers. The Tempe Buffaloes (1-4) will look to bounce back on the road against the 3-1 Williams Field High School Black Hawks on Thursday evening.