A new chapter to an age-old rivalry was written on Monday as the Crenshaw Cougars battled the Dorsey Donnas in girl’s flag football. The Cougars defeated the Donnas 38-0, showcasing their passing skills and stifling defense.
“I thought [Dorsey] had a lot of stuff to bring,” said Crenshaw senior Devin Brown. “They have a lot of work but they’re good.”
Monday marked the inaugural Crenshaw vs Dorsey girl’s flag football game @CrenshawCentral @DorseyDonsHigh @CIFLACS pic.twitter.com/4pSXnJZJqX
— Amanda Scurlock (@Amandtastic) September 14, 2023
Crenshaw junior Talita Robinson made four passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns. With her 107 reception yards and two touchdowns, junior Imani Taylor-Wise became the Player of the Game. Crenshaw junior Alani Anderson had three carries for 65 yards and one touchdown.
The match-up takes extra significance as it was the first-ever flag football game for Dorsey.
Related Stories
Coach Deion Sanders & the Colorado Buffaloes Shock TCU with Win 45-42
West LA Track and Field Contends in State Finals
“It’s going down in Dorsey history, I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Dorsey freshman Deonna Brown. “The rivalry is just beautiful because every school is gonna have a rivalry. I just love it, the atmosphere is just beautiful.”
Crenshaw scored on their first three possessions but were not successful on their two-point conversions until the second half. Dorsey relied on their rushing game but the Cougars were skillful at stopping the run. By halftime, Crenshaw was up 18-0.
“I think that we learned a lot from this,” said Dorsey senior Amirykal Hamilton. “Even though we made mistakes and everything but we learning from it and we’re gonna get better and better as the season goes.”
The Cougars are one of the original teams of the League of Champions that was created by the Rams and Chargers. The talent of the team and two seasons worth of experience have helped Crenshaw to a 4-0 record, they pace the Coliseum League.
Earlier this year, the CIF Southern Section sanctioned girl’s flag football and the City Section followed suit for this season.
On August 19, The Cougars scrimmaged against the King/Drew Golden Eagles during halftime of the Los Angeles Rams vs Las Vegas Raiders game. The matchup marked the first time high school girls competed at SoFi Stadium since the sport has been sanctioned. The Cougars fell to the Golden Eagles in the bout.
“Our pro teams, both of them, wear our colors, so that’s even better for them to see that, to be in front of a big crowd,” said Crenshaw flag football head coach Jim McElroy. “That’s something they can tell their family in the future, they can share that with their classmates like ‘I played at SoFi, I was on the field where the Rams and Chargers play at.’”
The Rivalry showdown was the first of a three-game format that flag football teams do every week. Both the Donnas and the Cougars took turns battling the GALA Goddesses. Dorsey played them in the second game. Dorsey flag football assistant coach Jessica Orozco noticed how the Donnas were improving in their second game.
“Our defense in the first game, they were kind of iffy on what to do but the second game, they got more on top of it, they got more confidence,” Orozco said. “Some of them started communicating more so that helped a lot.”
Coach Irvin Davis hopes that as Dorsey learn the importance of teamwork, consistency, and commitment.
“I think that the young ladies did a great job all things considered because we just started forming our team when school started,” Davis said. “If we continue to stick together and build and grow, I think they’re going to get better and better as the season goes on.”
