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Larissa Harries is EU’s 1st flag football league MVP
Fellow Lancers Gaspar, Lopez also earn top honors; Manteca’s Lawson named Co-DPOY
All-VOL flag football
East Union center Larissa Harries turns upfield after making the catch in a Valley Oak League home game against Sierra. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Larissa Harries made the All-Valley League second-team defense last year and was an afterthought on offense.

What a difference a year makes.

The senior center/linebacker was impactful on both sides of scrimmage in East Union’s historic second season, and she was named All-VOL MVP.

She’s one of four Manteca Unified athletes to earn top honors. Joining her are fellow Lancers Julianna Gaspar and Caliyah Lopez, the Offensive Player of the Year and Co-Utility Player of the Year, respectively. Lopez shares her award with Central Catholic’s Adisyn Quadros.

Manteca sophomore safety Sari Lawson splits Defensive Player of the Year with Central Catholic’s Paige Perry.

All-VOL flag football
East Union quarterback Julianna Gaspar gets winds up for the pass in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III opener against Wheatland. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Harries and Co. led East Union (11-1, 18-6 overall) to its first league championship and Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinal-round appearance. Central Catholic (9-3, 17-9) finished as runner-up, while Manteca (7-5, 11-9) and defending champion Sierra (7-5, 10-10) tied for third.

Harries was the linchpin to the Lancers’ success. In league play, she keyed the offense as both blocker and receiver with 676 yards and nine touchdowns on 75 catches — all team-highs. She was also East Union’s leading tackler with 54 to go with five interceptions and nine pass break-ups.

Harries’ impressive overall contributions for the season — 124 receptions, 1,062 yards, 15 TDs; 101 tackles, nine interceptions — landed her a spot on the MaxPreps All-SJS Team. She’s one of just two area athletes selected, earning honorable mention along with Lathrop’s Ja’Leiyah Ray.

Gaspar finished as one of the top passers in the section while emerging as a dual-threat quarterback. The junior completed 64.5% of her attempts in league games for 2,214 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. She also led the Lancers with 651 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 78 carries.

All-VOL flag football
East Union running back Caliyah Lopez reaches to make the catch on the run against the Wheatland defense in Sac-Joaquin Section Division III postseason action. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Lopez was East Union’s speedy pass-catching running back who collected 727 total yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. She was also a scoring threat on special teams and defense, totaling nine league TDs. Defensively, she had 32 tackles with team-highs six interceptions and 15 pass deflections.

Lawson anchored the Manteca defense with 71 tackles, five interceptions and 18 pass breakups. She was one of the Buffaloes’ top producers on offense with 36 receptions, 439 yards and six touchdowns.

East Union totaled 10 all-league selections. Making the first team are junior pass rusher Makayla Burlingame (47 tackles, 26 sacks), freshman receiver/defensive back Avina Harrington (246 yards, four TDs; six interceptions) and receivers Ava Barrera (27 receptions, 304 yards, three TDs) and Gwen Baker (32-264-3). Junior Alexa Bretao (25 tackles, three INTs), sophomore Sierra Dormer (28 tackles, 2.0 sacks, two INTs) and freshman Vanessa Velazquez (33 tackles, 14 sacks) were named to the second team.

All-VOL flag football
Manteca safety Sari Lawson grabs hold of Zhanee Sutton’s flag in a Valley Oak League game against Sierra. - photo by SEAN KAHLER

Manteca’s first-team selections are senior receiver/safety Keira McCulley (57 catches, 564 yards, four TDs; 51 tackles, five INTs), sophomore WR/DB Myah Hayter (40 receptions, 378 yards, five TDs; eight INTs) and sophomore utility player Graciela Torres (437 passing yards, three TDs; 196 rushing yards, TD; seven receptions, 97 yards). Juniors Raniya Nelson (54 tackles, three INTs) and Kailee Jackson (35 tackles, 17 sacks) got second-team honors.

Sierra has five players on the all-league list, including two three-time honorees. Senior QB/S Maitland Kohoutek (889 passing yards, 12 TDs; 371 rushing yards, TD; seven INTs) is back on the All-VOL first team, but she also earned a spot on the All-Tri-City Athletic League team in 2023 during the first year of flag football as a sanctioned high school sport in the state.

Senior pass rusher Margeil Garcia (47 tackles, 22 sacks) and sophomore QB/DB Tessa Zalunardp (790 passing yards, eight TDs; 415 rushing yards, nine TDs) are also repeat all-league first-team selections. Garcia made honorable mention in the TCAL her sophomore season, while Zalunardo was awarded Outstanding Offensive Player last year.

Sophomore Felisa Cruz-Olenhouse (32 receptions, 377 yards, three TDs) and junior Zhanee Sutton (31 receptions, 326 yards, two TDs; 52 tackles, four INTs) are Sierra’s second-team selections.

Earning honorable mention: East Union — Ellie Flores, Alessandra De Los Santos; Sierra — Kileyann O’Neil, Priya Dhaliwal; Manteca — Tatum Kusy Penirian, Gabby Leon.