Birmingham’s QB Malaea Tonga, #15, passes during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham’s Melanie Mora, #9, eludes Cleveland’s Cerenity Gonzalez, #12, for a TD during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s Briseida Chevez, #17, gets tackled by Birmingham’s Bella Gonzalez, #12, and Alexa Arreguin, #18, during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham’s QB Malaea Tonga, #15, fakes a hand-off to Bella Gonzalez, #12, during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham’s Jazmine Martinez, #4, runs for a gain as Cleveland’s Jeyry Mejia, #10, pursues during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s Helena Orellana, #7, breaks up a pass intended for Birmingham’s Shaelyn Soriano, #3, during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s Cindy Martinez, #8, gets past Birmingham’s Harlym Harris, #16, and Anabella Venegas, #74, for a touchdown during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s Skylar Lamb, #11, tries to get past Birmingham’s Jaylene Huerta, #42, and Kinsey Boyd, #6, during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s KC Martinez, #1, tries to get away from Birmingham’s Alexa Arreguin, #18, during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham’s QB Malaea Tonga, #15, gets pressure from Cleveland’s Helena Orellana, #7, during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham’s Angelynn Quiroz, #1, tries to keep away from Cleveland’s Amber Ramirez, #13, during second half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham’s Shaelyn Soriano, #3, can’t hang on to this pass from Malaea Tonga during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s Skylar Lamb, #11, tries to get by Birmingham’s Jazmine Martinez, #4, and Bella Gonzalez, #12, during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham’s Bella Gonzalez, #12, passes the ball away with pressure from Cleveland’s Amari Ray, #4, during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s Nina Ramirez, #9, is brought down by Birmingham’s Jazmine Martinez, #4, and Alexa Arreguin, #18, during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s Cindy Martinez, #8, makes a run with Cleveland’s Melanie Mora, #9, in pursuit during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Birmingham’s Bella Gonzalez, #12, tries to evade Cleveland’s Amber Ramirez, #13, during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cleveland’s Brielle Hall, #21, fumbles as Birmingham’s Harlym Harris, #16, gets her flag during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
1 of 18
Birmingham’s QB Malaea Tonga, #15, passes during first half action in a West Valley League game at Birmingham High on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Birmingham defeated Cleveland 36-6. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Chasing perfection is seldom easy, but the Birmingham girls flag football team seems to be enjoying the challenge of trying to go unbeaten for the second season in a row.
The Patriots won the first-ever CIF L.A. City Section championship last season without losing a single game despite being a brand-new program. Quarterback Jessica Rose, the daughter of Patriots head coach Jim Rose, helped lead the way.
This season, the Patriots are relying on a new quarterback, Malea Tonga, and the results have remained the same. With the City playoff brackets set to be released Saturday, the Patriots (12-0-1) are likely to be a top seed again in the postseason.
“You always feel good when you haven’t lost,” said coach Rose. “We don’t give up a lot of points ever, so that’s a part of our success. I always tell (Tonga) to go through your reads and your progressions. When she does that, we move the ball every time. Now we’ve got one more (regular-season) game against Chatsworth. Hopefully, we play them strong and give us good momentum heading into the CIF playoffs.”
In 13 games this season, the Patriots have given up double-digit points twice. In a West Valley League matchup against Cleveland on Monday, the Patriots defense remained just as dominant in a 36-6 win.
Tonga threw an interception on the Patriots’ first offensive play but after that the quarterback went on to finish with 111 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Each of her three touchdown passes went to a different receiver — a 67-yard pass to Shaelyn Soriano, a 6-yard pass to Andrea Arosemena and a 7-yard pass to Melanie Mora.
The Cavaliers struggled offensively. Among the bright spots were Cindy Martinez, who finished with three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown, and Skylay Lamb, who finished with five catches for 50 yards.
“We played this team well last time we played,” Cavaliers head coach Edgar Espana said, referring to a 14-0 loss to Birmingham on Oct. 17.
Espana said some of his players “get down on themselves” during games, and that adds to the difficulty against a team like Birmingham.
“They’re a young team, so it happens, but we’ll be OK,” he said.
While the Patriots were nearly perfect on offense, they also did damage with their defense. The defense forced four turnovers — one by Jazmine Martinez, a pick-six by Harlym Harris and two interceptions by Mora.
Mora, a two-way standout, earned All-City Section honors last season.
Clicking on both sides of the ball has been a normal occurrence all season long for Birmingham, which is at Chatsworth Thursday for the regular-season finale.
“I feel really great,” said Mora. “We’re still undefeated, so it feels amazing. Going really strong into the end and thinking positively has been the main goal for us. As long as we keep doing that, we’ll be good. I feel like it’s going to be beautiful again if we win. I just want to experience it again.”
