BARNEGAT – It did not take long for the Barnegat High School girls flag football team to go unbeaten and win two championships.
Competing at the club level, the first-year team won the Shore Conference South Division at 9-0 and the Shore Conference Tournament en route to a 12-0 record.
“Our preseason goals were to teach the girls the game and make it fun for them,” said coach Andrew Petruzzi, assisted by Paul Covine (the Bengals’ head boys football team coach) and Kevin Smith. “Once we saw what we had, those goals were changed to winning division and conference championships.”
Sophomore quarterback Camila Chamorro completed 182 of 286 passes for 3,203 yards and 43 touchdowns. One completion devoured 92 yards. She tossed two interceptions. She rushed for 586 yards and three touchdowns on 47 carries and sparkled on defense, making 29 solo tackles.
Chamorro connected on 22 of 28 passes for 408 yards and three touchdowns in a 39-12 conquest of Middletown South in the SCT championship game. She tossed one interception, rushed for 64 yards and one touchdown on three carries and completed two one-point passes.
“After I saw South (which bested Trinity Hall 31-13) play in the semifinals, I knew we had a good chance to win,” Petruzzi said. “We had more athletes than they did.”
The Bengals clinched the division, downing Pinelands Regional 14-7 and Chamorro again came in clinch, completing 14 of 18 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for 76 yards on 10 carries and adding two solo tackles.
“I saw Camila play in our school’s powder puff game and I knew she was a legitimate quarterback,” Petruzzi said. “She became my coach on the field. She was able to call her own plays. We beat our cross town rivals, which was sweet.”
Protecting Chamorro were Allie King and Lyla Santiago.
“One of the keys to our success was the development of King and Santiago,” Petruzzi said. “We played a fast paced, up tempo offense. Our goal was to run more plays than the other team.”
Sophomore wide receiver Syrah Holmes caught 52 passes for 1,031 yards and a team-high 20 touchdowns. She also excelled on defense, making 17 solo tackles and adding three interceptions. She returned one theft for a touchdown. Holmes caught six passes for 152 yards and one touchdown and added three solo tackles and one interception against South.
“Syrah was unstoppable,” Petruzzi said. “Defenses tried double teaming her – and that didn’t work.”
Another solid all-around player was Victoria Hoffman. The sophomore running back-defensive back hauled in 44 passes for 686 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. She added 31 total tackles and one sack.
Hoffman caught four passes for 46 yards and one touchdown and added one sack and six solo stops against South. She notched nine solo tackles against Pinelands.
“She was a speed demon,” Petruzzi said. “Once she got outside, she was gone.”
Freshman wide receiver Julia Giangregorio caught 36 passes for 703 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 44 yards on four carries. She was a key player on defense, making 33 solo stops and picking off one pass.
She caught eight passes for 55 yards and one touchdown against South. She piled up 135 receiving yards, caught one touchdown pass and added 11 solo stops against Pinelands.
“Julia was our go-to person since teams focused on Syrah after our first few games,” Petruzzi said. “Julia could break a short pass into a long pass. She was the person I would bounce things off as she has a lot of experience playing the game.”
Junior Amaya Afflick contributed one sack and 46 solo tackles, eight receptions for 141 yards and one touchdown and 30 yards on two carries. She registered one sack and 10 solo stops against South. She made eight solo tackles against Pinelands.
“She dominated on the defensive side of the ball during the Shore Conference Tournament,” Petruzzi said.
Sophomore Natalya Novitsky added seven sacks and 37 solo stops.
Petruzzi termed freshman Isabella McGowan the Bengals’ “Quarterback of the future.” She completed 14 of 21 passes for 172 yards and rushed for 12 yards on one carry.
Kaleigh Outwright coached the junior varsity team.
“I have to recognize coach Outwright,” Petruzzi said. “She was amazing at handling our junior varsity team. The girls really leaned on her during the season to overcome adversity. We would not be successful if it weren’t for her. Some of her girls also played on our varsity team. They performed well during the year as most of our games were lopsided in the second half.”
Petruzzi said he enjoyed coaching the Bengals, the owners of five shutouts. The Bengals buried opponents under a 399-85 avalanche in points. They are believed to be the first Barnegat team to win a Shore Conference title in any sport since Barnegat joined the conference in 2006.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of our season,” he said. “It surpassed my wildest dreams. I am excited to see the team compete for a true state championship (for the first time on the varsity level next spring as the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association has approved flag football as a varsity sport). I never met a group of girls with more energy and a competitive nature. They will run through a brick wall for their teammates.
“I am excited for the future of this team. There is only one goal to achieve – and that is to win a state title. I am truly blessed to coach a great group of girls who have become part of my family,” he said.
