KING CITY — Playing on the road for three games did not bother the King City Lady Mustangs flag football team as they won the Pacific Coast Athletic League tournament on Saturday by a 21-12 score over the Watsonville Wildcatz.
After placing third in the Gabilan Division with a 10-5 division and 20-17 overall record, King City was seeded behind the Hollister Haybalers and Salinas Cowboys.
King City had a bye and did not play their first games until last Wednesday night.
In the quarterfinals, the Mustangs hosted sixth seed Palma and won by a 40-27 score. Katia Slama passed for 383 yards and threw five touchdown passes in the contest and rushed for 36 yards while scoring a rushing touchdown.
Shyrah McDonald caught 11 receptions for 194 yards and had four touchdowns. Samantha Muniz finished with seven receptions for 88 yards and scored one touchdown, and Yesenia Rodriguez had three receptions for 56 yards.
In the semifinals that took place right after the game with Palma, King City edged the host Cowboys, 40-33. The Lady Mustangs were a force defensively as Jacqueline Gonzalez had a 36-yard pick six and one reception for a touchdown, and Samantha Muniz and Kaylin Arvizu came up with an interception.
Slama was 21 of 33 on pass attempts for 150 yards, three passing touchdowns, 49 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Dania Rodriguez added a touchdown and Shyrah McDonald had 10 receptions for 69 yards and rushed for 38 yards.
During the regular season, the Cowboys had defeated the Lady Mustangs 28-25 and 32-30.
King City was ready for a battle against Watsonville in Saturday’s championship final at Palma High, as the Lady Mustangs had beaten the Wildcatz on the road and lost by a 18-16 score at War Memorial Stadium.
In the championship game, Slama was successful on 22 of 30 pass attempts and threw for two touchdowns. Yesenia Rodriguez had four receptions for 56 yards and had two scoring catches, an interception and a key pass breakup on fourth and goal. McDonald had seven receptions for 67 yards and rushed for a touchdown.
Muniz came up with a title-clinching interception, six flag pulls and was five for 54 yards on two-point conversions. Arvizu had nine flag pulls, and Melissa Iglesias had four pulls and one sack. Jacqueline Gonzalez was credited for making a touchdown saving flag pull.
In total this season, Slama threw for 5,581 yards and 97 touchdown passes with 1,051 rush yards and 13 touchdowns in 28 games, while Muniz caught 114 passes for 1,364 yards and McDonald had 1,336 rush yards and 27 touchdowns.
“Myself, Coach Espino and Coach X are so proud of our team for coming together and making plays when it mattered,” said King City head coach Brent Slama. “We talked all summer and all season long since the beginning about what is required to be a championship team, and to see them execute the game plan in the most critical moments when everything was on the line was amazing. This will always be a special team in my heart.”
