The Castaic girls’ flag football team may be in its first season, but that’s not stopping the girls and Coyote head coach William Jones from making some noise in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Following a narrow win on the road over the Highland Bulldogs in the first round, the Coyotes won back-to-back playoff games, including an 18-13 win over the Norte Vista Braves on Tuesday.
“It’s absolutely huge. It means everything to our program,” Jones said in response to the win and having the team play in the semifinals. “The fact that in our division, I believe we’re the only first-year program is just a testament to the hard work and dedication of our school administration, our staff, our booster clubs, and the young ladies who decided to push for the program at Castaic, and who have since put in all the hard work thus far.”
The Coyotes clinched a playoff bid after finishing fourth in the Foothill League and were the only first-year team to participate in the playoffs from the league.
When the 2025 season began, Jones recalled how there wasn’t much expectation for the flag football program as it was a first-year team.
“When I took on the task of building this program from the ground up here at Castaic, that’s been our goal,” Jones said. “We didn’t want to rely on the, ‘Oh, you’re a first-year program. You don’t have to win right away.’ No, our goal is to win right away. And our girls have done that. They continue to improve and get better. They’re able to go play in those final four in these semifinal games for a CIF title is huge.”
With three straight wins to open the playoffs, the Coyotes are firing on all cylinders as the team prepares for the semifinals of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 5 playoffs.
The biggest performers from the postseason have been the Coyotes’ defense.
After allowing 24 points in the first-round win, the Coyotes rebounded, allowing 25 points combined in the second and quarterfinal rounds, a big switch from the first game that has left Jones proud of his team’s work ethic.
“I still get on (them) because when I think one touchdown is too many, but when I step back and I take a broader view of what our defense has been doing and how they’ve been performing, it’s impressive,” he said. “They don’t give up a lot of big plays and they’re very disciplined in their reads and knowing where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there. And it’s a testament to their hard work.”
For Saturday’s semifinals matchup, the Coyotes will need their defense to execute all 48 minutes against their next opponent, the Moreno Valley Vikings.
The Vikings will be the toughest test for the Coyotes, as they’ve outscored their opponents 71-26 in the postseason.
With the matchup being a road game for the Coyotes, Jones isn’t worried. Instead, he and the team are going to ride with that underdog mentality they’ve had all season and carry that as fast as they go.
“You’re only promised another 48 minutes and beyond that, you’re not promised anything,” he said. “So, if you want the next 48 minutes, you’re going to have to take it. And that’s been our mantra. Why not us? Why not a first-year program? Why not little Castaic High School?”
The Coyotes play on Saturday at Moreno Valley High School with the game set to kick off at 5 p.m.
