The Hilmar High flag football program lost nearly half of its section champion-winning roster from a year ago to graduation, but the returners who are seeing game action this fall are picking up right where things left off.
Aside from a pair of losses in last week’s Orestimba Tournament in Newman (including a 16-0 loss to Turlock), the Yellowjackets have gotten off to a quick start to its 2026 campaign, the latest being a convincing 21-6 victory over Pitman on Monday evening.
The Yellowjackets improved to 4-2 overall and have outscored opponents 145-29. Meanwhile, it was the first game of the season for the Pride, hoping to build on a 14-5 season and its third playoff berth in as many years as the program’s existence.
“The confidence is definitely still there,” said head coach Anthony Leal. “I know we ended on a high note last year, and I know this year we're in low numbers this year (13), and I know some girls are kind of nervous about that. But I told them, ‘Hey, we're still full of talent. We're still the same team with the same culture. Nothing's changing.’ And me and my great coaching staff went straight to work in May. These ladies haven’t missed a beat.”
One of those returners that has displayed similar dominance from the year prior is junior Milana Lacey, whose three sacks and an interception, along with additional pressure from sophomore Makynzie Belo, helped keep Pitman quarterback Jazmine Bedoya and the usually high-powered Pride offense quiet, forcing 14 incompletions and five punts in eight possessions.
Offensively, the duo of sophomore quarterback Haygen Stivers and senior center Elah Flanery had a field day, connecting on five completions, including a pair of touchdowns. The first, an 18-yard strike, came early in the second quarter. The second was on Hilmar’s first possession of the second half, a 14-yard dime to Flanery at the goal line.
Stivers found Mili Lorios from 25 yards out for a score with just eight seconds remaining in the game.
Stivers began playing flag football recreationally in fourth grade and has a naturally strong arm from being a softball pitcher. Add in some helpful tips from her father, Modesto Junior College football head coach Rusty Stivers, the quarterback is leading the way for Hilmar’s pass-heavy offense.
“I was a little nervous to play at quarterback, but once I got back there for my first game, I saw how exciting it was,” Stiver said. “I just love touching the ball every play and getting assists and throwing it to people… It's great and it's a lot of fun to throw to my teammates. They're all really good.”
Pitman’s lone score came in the late stages of the fourth quarter, when junior Isabel Fuentes caught a quick pass in the flat from Bedoya and sprinted nearly half the length of the field for a 37-yard touchdown.
“To win another section championship would be really great,” said Flanery. “We had a lot of great girls on our team last year that we lost, but we can definitely do it again.”
Added Stivers: “Our roster is small, but we have a lot of experience here and a lot of confidence from last year. It would be great to do it again and show everyone that this group is just as capable of doing big things.”
