East Union let a piece of the Valley Oak League championship slip away in its inaugural season, but in year 2, the Lancers reached out and took it all for themselves.
With still one game left in the regular season, they secured the outright claim Thursday at rival Manteca with a 13-0 victory. The two teams will meet again next Tuesday at East Union’s Dino Cunial Stadium.
“We started the season with the motto, ‘unfinished business,’” East Union coach Steve Jackson said. “We came so close last year, then we lost a lot of personnel. We have a lot of young girls and a real tough schedule. We took some lumps early, but the girls stepped up and are playing really well right now.
“Manteca is a heck of a team, Sierra is a great team, and so is Central (Catholic), so it’s really enjoyable to win the first league championship for flag football in East Union history.”
Julianna Gaspar was the difference for East Union (10-1 VOL, 15-5 overall) with her quick decision making and scrambling ability. The junior quarterback connected with Larissa Harries and Avina Harrington for 6-yard touchdowns, and Caliyah Lopez on a conversion try that capped the final score with 5:59 left in the third quarter.
Gaspar finished 17-of-24 passing for 109 yards and did not throw an interception. She was also the leading rusher with 52 yards on 10 carries. East Union relied on her playmaking and short passing to navigate through Manteca’s ball-hawking defense led by Kailee Jackson (five tackles, sack, pass break-up), Sari Lawson (six tackles), Keira McCulley (nine tackles) and Raniya Nelson (six tackles).
“We watched a lot of film, saw the open areas and their weak points and just attacked those the best we could,” Gaspar said. “We were able to make the adjustments on the field, just like we practiced.”
The Buffaloes (7-3, 12-7) botched their best opportunity to score in the quarter. Myah Hayter reeled in a 26-yard pass from Lily Dundas (17 of 26, 108 yards) to set Manteca up inside the 10-yard line. East Union safety ended the threat with an interception that she returned to the EU 37-yard line.
Harrington also came up with a pick for the Lancers, getting hers on Manteca’s final offensive series.
One of just four seniors for EU, Harries keyed the big win with her two-way contributions. She was the Lancers’ top receiver with 63 yards on nine catches. On defense, she had four tackles and one pass deflection.
“I have a lot of emotions right now,” Harries said. “I’m just so proud of my team. I’m glad that we showed up, showed out. We executed like we’ve been practicing all week. Honestly, we earned it, and it feels amazing.”
