North High School flag football stuns in maiden home victory
PHOENIX – Students and families cheered in the North High School stands as sophomore quarterback Jizzelle Escoffery ran eight yards to give the Mustangs its first-ever touchdown in flag football at home against the Camelback Spartans. The Mustangs struck first, 7 minutes and 45 seconds into the first quarter, and never lost their lead. “Jizzelle’s great,” Mustangs Head Coach Michael Butler said. “I’m proud of her. She’s one of the main leaders on our team.” Escoffery ran for three touchdowns and threw three, including a 50-yard pass to Xxylina Flores, to guide her team to a 40-6 win over the Spartans. Flores’ performance also included an interception on Camelback’s first drive of the game, leading to the Mustangs’ maiden flag football touchdown at home. North was buzzing after the first home win in school history on its own field. The Mustangs’ offense boasted three consecutive drives, resulting in touchdowns in the first half and a total of six out of nine drives finishing in the endzone. North's defense held the Spartans to a single touchdown on seven drives and two interceptions in the first half. “They’re doing so good,” parent Jim Smith said. “I wasn’t expecting them to be blowing out.” Smith’s daughter Anaiah Smith Cohen is one of the players new to flag football, giving her parents quite a shock when she decided to try out for the team, he said. A 2-0 start seemed to be a surprise for this Mustangs squad with many players new to the sport and still learning the basics of the game. “A lot of the ladies, this is the first time they’ve ever played football,” Butler said. “They’re learning what does a blitz mean and what’s the line of scrimmage.” Another new player, Marta Lima, a junior wide receiver and cornerback, said she wanted to try something new and was excited about playing in front of her classmates for the first time. “It feels great,” Lima said. “Since it’s our first game, they get to experience it with us.” With cheers from the crowd from start to finish, Lima and her teammates skipped back to the locker room after the game, happy about their win and excited for the season to come. With the win over the Spartans following a 26-7 win on the road at Alhambra High School the night before, September 18, the Mustangs early-season performance seems to be impressing fans and coaches. “With this being the first year and all, I’m impressed with their skills,” Smith said. The Mustangs made major improvements since the win over Alhambra the night prior, especially with discipline on the field. According to Smith, the number of false start penalties against the Spartans was much smaller than Wednesday at Alhambra. Butler said he is very proud of the winning team he has put together and has high hopes for his players with the rest of the season ahead. “It’s not just about winning one or two games,” Butler said, “We want a championship.”
North High volleyball completes comeback over Sierra Linda in five-set clash
PHOENIX – Tears welled up in the eyes of a junior varsity Mustang as she watched her older sister and the North High School girls volleyball team keep the win streak alive following an emotional 3-2 comeback victory over the Sierra Linda Bulldogs at home on October 21. “They played so good,” Arlinda Figueroa said. “I’m crying right now.” Arlinda’s older sister and senior middle blocker, Natalie Figueroa, scored her team's match point with her fifth-set kill nearly two hours into the match. The Mustangs won the third set in a row to end the match, erasing the Bulldogs’ two-set lead. According to Arlinda, Natalie and her best friend, senior outside hitter Yuliana Apodaca, help develop her game. “I wanna be that good one day,” Arlinda said. “They guide me.” For Apodaca, one of five returning seniors and three team captains, is constantly encouraging her teammates on the court, whether the point was won or lost. “I feel like I can talk to the girls and have a connection with the girls,” Apodaca said. Leadership comes naturally to the captain as her youth volleyball coach was always encouraging and treated the team like family. Apodaca looks to create that same environment with her players, especially the young newcomers. “We had a sleepover in Tucson at a tournament,” Apodaca said. “That really helped everyone get together.” Figuring out how to communicate with new players was at first achallenge for the three captains, Apodaca said, but the Mustangs bounced back with a nine-game winning streak and four games left in the regular season. “I’m just very proud of our team for coming together,” Apodaca said. Head coach Mindy Williams said she relies on her younger players with an empty bench this season. “There’s been a lot of improvement,” Williams said, “They’ve come a long way, and they’ve been contributing to our success this season.” Cheers and songs bounced off the echoing walls of the North High gym from both sides of the net. The Mustangs and the Bulldogs never stopped cheering. A close match down to the last kill, hearts pounded in the cold gymnasium. “I almost had a freaking heart attack,” Williams said. Proud of her players, Williams said they were determined to win and they played with heart and pride. “It wasn’t pretty,” Williams said, adding that the team’s goal is to win out and make the playoffs. “But for us to come back after being down two and win three in a row is a huge accomplishment."
From basketball to flag football
PHOENIX – Young Jizzelle Escoffery was always interested in sports. Despite her parents not being able to put her in any organized sports for many years, Escoffery played on her own and entertained her athletic mind. Escoffery’s mother, Rebekah Portis, found her constantly playing with balls. At 9 years old, she decided basketball was her sport. “That’s what she wanted to be,” Portis said. “A basketball player.” Escoffery is the first girls flag football quarterback in North High School’s history. Growing up in Arizona, Escoffery focused on basketball. Flag football wasn’t a popular sport and she hadn’t played in years. Her goals have since shifted and the young sophomore now has her sights set on a future in flag football in its first year as an official sport at North. This season, Escoffery leads a 7-1 team with hopes of advancing to the playoffs later this fall. Before this year, Escoffery’s experience with flag football was limited to one time in first grade on an all-boys team. Now, with eight games under her belt, Escoffery is taking advantage of her leadership position to grow her confidence. As a sophomore, it isn’t easy to tell juniors and seniors what to do, but Escoffery is handling it as best as she can. “On our team, we don’t really care what grade you’re in,” Escoffery said. “As long as you do what you have to do on the field, then you can be a leader.” Escoffery’s confidence helped her on the field, calling plays, referring to her playing style as aggressive. “I like to run the ball,” Escoffery said. “I feel like I’m faster than other people.” Escoffery wanting to join the flag football team did not come as a surprise to her mother. What shocked Portis the most was her daughter’s newfound confidence. “I was very impressed,” Portis said. “She was very confident. I was kind of thrown back a little.” North’s girls flag football head coach, Michael Butler, noticed the same growth. “She’s not as vocal as she wants to be,” Butler said. “In the past couple weeks; she has picked it up.” With her growth in confidence, Butler said Escoffery has remained humble. He hasn’t heard one negative word spoken about the quarterback. The criticisms given to her teammates don’t have an ounce of malice behind them. She’s a competitive player who wants to win and wants her teammates to succeed. “Someone who is athletically gifted that is also not a jerk,” Butler said. “That’s rare.” Escoffery’s success on the field isn’t only raw talent; it comes from all of her hard work off the field as well. Butler said few of his players know the importance of film. But the sophomore is already watching film from teams they expect to face in the playoffs. “She told me, ‘They beat them 49-0 yesterday,’” Butler said. “Wow, you kind of stole my line.” Outside of sports, Escoffery is still a high achiever. With straight A’s and a member of the Mustangs for Christ club, Escoffery knows how to manage her time. A support system is important for high school students, especially athletes and that’s why Escoffery’s mom has been to every single one of her daughter’s flag football games. “I just think anything she plays or wants to do,” Portis said. “She’s going to be good at it.”