AIA 3A Flag Football playoffs
MV Mustangs earn No. 11 seed

WINDOW ROCK

The Monument Valley Mustangs flag football team is looking to stay disciplined for Tuesday’s playoff game.

Monument Valley earned the No. 11 seed in the Arizona Interscholastic Association 3A bracket, which was released over the weekend. The Mustangs open the playoffs at No. 6 Heritage Academy Laveen, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.

“We’re looking forward to the playoffs,” MV coach Roberto Flores said. “I feel like every team in the playoffs is beatable. Not one team is undefeated in our conference and there were some upsets that happened recently.

“I wanna say all the teams are equal, and I don’t think there are any bad teams in this bracket,” he added. “It’s going to come down to who’s playing their best, but I have a lot of confidence in these girls.”

The first-year MV coach said Heritage Academy Laveen (9-3) is no pushover. He hopes his team can keep quarterback Savana Soltero and wide receiver Sieana Soltero in check Tuesday.

“They like to pass the ball and they have a quarterback that can run,” Flores said. “They also have a receiver that’s a speedster and she can catch the ball. It’s all about containing their quarterback and receiver. That will basically seal the deal for us, but we also need to stay disciplined.”

The Mustangs enter the first-round contest with an 8-3 record, including a perfect 2-0 mark in 3A North play with shutout wins over Tuba City (34-0) and Page (15-0).

“First of all, they’re two great teams with two great coaching staffs and I want to give a shout out to them,” Flores said of his team’s region opponents. “Last year, we got beat by Page at the end of the season and the returners that I have remembered that game, so they wanted to get some revenge.”

Junior quarterback Tayana Sherlock leads the Mustangs with 1,404 yards of offense through seven games for which statistics are available. Statistics from four of Monument Valley’s 11 games were unavailable.

“I have a great quarterback,” Flores said. “She has a great arm, and she can throw the ball. I’m just grateful and honored to have her as my quarterback.”

Flores acknowledged that it took time for the third-year quarterback to develop her skills.

“There’s a lot of pressure and attention that comes with being a quarterback, but she’s doing well,” he said. “It’s all about building her confidence and giving her insights on what to do. I think this year, she’s starting to view the game more as a quarterback.

“You know, it’s all about decision-making,” he added. “She’s seeing where the cornerbacks are, and she’s seeing where the safeties are, so she’s making good reads.”

In the seven games with available statistics, Sherlock completed 96 of 153 passes for 1,366 yards and 22 touchdowns, with five receivers each gaining more than 190 yards. Sophomore Addison McCabe leads the group with 28 receptions for 346 yards.

Senior Kiarra Bahe has 10 receptions for 317 yards, while sophomore Ciara Gray and senior Arianna Maimone have 289 and 279 receiving yards, respectively. Senior Enve Norton follows with 197 yards.

“We have a lot of good pieces, and what we try to do is get everyone involved,” Flores said of spreading the offense. “With five receivers getting 190 yards, it makes them all threats, so when we play other teams, they don’t just look at one or two people to defend.

“They have to watch all our receivers, so that helps in a lot of ways,” he added.

Defensively, MV uses a “no-fly zone” philosophy to limit opposing passing attacks. The Mustangs have recorded 12 interceptions, with McCabe and Gray leading the team with three each.

“I preach that no-fly zone all the time,” Flores said. “It basically means whenever the ball is thrown in your zone area, the ball is yours to get. I feel like our coverage is one of the top coverages in the state.”

Through seven games with available statistics, McCabe has also recorded 29 flag pulls, followed by Gray with 20, Maimone with 14 and senior Ellie Harjo with 13.

“Addison McCabe and Ciara Gray are my linebackers,” Flores said. “They started as freshmen and they’re very experienced. They make good reads on defense, and it helps a lot to have two players that can coach up on defense and be leaders out there.”

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