This year’s Turlock High School flag football team doesn’t know the feeling of defeat.
Backed by a three-touchdown performance by junior Makenli Watt, the boisterous Bulldogs pushed its season-opening winning streak to nine games Tuesday night with a convincing 22-12 road victory over crosstown rival Pitman to open the second week of Central California Athletic League Play.
Turlock entered the game as the top ranked team in the entire Sac-Joaquin Section and seventh in California. With the win, The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 against conference opponents and now hold a two-game lead over the Pride and Gregori. Pitman dropped to 2-1 in league play and 7-3 overall.
“We were really excited to play Pitman,” Watt said. “It’s always a good game against them, so we came in strong and motivated and hopefully we can do the same next time.”
In the seventh all-time meeting between the programs since flag football was introduced to the section, Tuesday’s contest marked the first that was not decided by one score.
Watt and sophomore quarterback Josslyn Crittenden came out of the gates firing, with the two connecting on a 65-yard touchdown on the opening drive. After an empty Pitman possession, the Bulldogs, leading 6-0, drove into the red zone before Crittenden used her speed to escape the pocket and Watt again in the corner of the end zone for a 16-yard score. The lead extended to 14-0 when the duo linked up to convert on the two-point attempt.
Turlock’s defense continued to limit Pitman in the early stages of the third quarter, as senior Natalie Ledesma picked off Jazmin Bedoya deep in Pride territory.
“We've been mixing things up on the defense,” said Turlock head coach Aaron King. “We have different defenses that we have worked on during the offseason to give different looks. We have some movement on the defense, which might mess with quarterbacks… We’ve just set the expectations to execute real high for ourselves.”
Following the turnover, Crittenden and Watt made quick work with an 8-yard touchdown. The lead became 22-0 when the two again converted for an extra two points.
“Her attitude on the field, the aggression that she plays with, she brings it to the rest of the team and elevates everyone,” King said of Watt. “She's definitely talented. You saw a couple of her receptions wasn't just the ball coming at her; she went to go get the ball. She put in a lot of work in the offseason to be aggressive to the ball.”
Watt gave all the flowers to her quarterback as she reflected on her performance.
“It's amazing having Josslyn on our team and as our quarterback, Watt said. “It's such a blessing.”
The Pitman defense forced an empty possession midway through the fourth quarter, which resulted in a 1-yard touchdown rush by Emily Martinez to make it 22-6. On the ensuing Turlock drive, Bedoya intercepted Crittenden, which quickly set the stage for another 1-yard score from Martinez. King said the two late scores were a result of his team’s intensity falling as time ticked away on the clock, something he is confident his veteran team (10 of the 17 players have played flag football for all three seasons) will fix moving forward.
“A lot of the girls are three-year varsity players that have been around since the program, and that experience makes a big difference,” King said. “It’s all about the hard work they’ve put in over the years and the work they continue to do. If they don’t put in the work, they don't get to where they're at. They work hard everywhere. They're super focused. We have efficient practices. They watch film… The football IQ has come a long way.”
Added Watt: “We just put our heads down and stay hungry, stay humble. That's all it really is. We just have to continue to practice hard and work hard and stuff like this happens. It’s amazing.”
The winning streak can reach double digits on Thursday when the Bulldogs travel to Modesto to face Enochs (7-6).
“That's one thing we try to pride ourselves in — the target is on our back,” King said. “People are going to try to score and beat us, but the girls keep rising to the occasion.”
