CONCORD — Good luck stopping Cardinal Newman.
The Cardinals, a power in the North Bay, hadn’t been slowed down all season long in flag football. And on Thursday at Clayton Valley Charter, Acalanes was the latest foil to Newman’s perfect season.
Behind five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) from junior quarterback Nicole Hayeems, the Cardinals blitzed Acalanes 34-6, capping off a 24-0 campaign with the first-ever NCS Division II championship.
“We totally exceeded my expectations,” Hayeems said. “I knew we had it in us. It was just digging deep and playing to the best of our ability. And I feel like we did that 100%, and I’m really proud of our whole team.”
Cardinal Newman head coach Tino Retamoza celebrates with his players after defeating Acalanes during the 2025 NCS Girls Flag Football Div. II Championship game at Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Cardinal Newman defeated Acalanes 34-6. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Acalanes (17-3) struggled to stop the telepathic connection between Hayeems and her twin sister, receiver Naiomi Hayeems. The twins teamed up for a pair of TD passes and several long completions that moved the chains and kept Newman’s offense humming all game.
“Of course we would have wanted to win the game, but you don’t control the outcome,” Acalanes coach Mike Ivankovich said. “You control your effort and your attitude. And anybody that was here saw that our girls played hard the whole time. We never hung our heads, we never got negative, and we never changed who we were.”
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After a dominant first-half showing spotted Newman a 26-0 halftime lead, Acalanes was much more competitive in the final two quarters. The Dons made their mark on the scoreboard when sophomore running back Isabelle Agnost broke into the open field and showed off her track speed, sprinting 49 yards down the left sideline for Acalanes’ lone touchdown.
“That felt good,” Ivankovich said. “You don’t want to get shut out. They’re a really good team. So as you move forward through the playoffs, there’s nobody left but good teams. There’s nobody left but coaches that know how to coach. You have games get played, and if we play again, we could have a different outcome. But you only get to play once, so this is the one we got to live with.
“We love our girls. We’re so proud of them. The amount of effort that they’ve given throughout the season and what we did to get to where we are, we’re really proud. I mean, this is a huge success.”
Cardinal Newman’s Juliet Diehl (3) knocks down a pass intended for Acalanes’ Maya Shoenhair (15) during the 2025 NCS Girls Flag Football Div. II Championship game at Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Cardinal Newman defeated Acalanes 34-6. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Acalanes’ Isabelle Agnost (30) consoles teammate Lesley Trowbridge (10) after being defeated by Cardinal Newman during the 2025 NCS Girls Flag Football Div. II Championship game at Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Cardinal Newman defeated Acalanes 34-6. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Cardinal Newman’s Molly Friedman (22), from left, Reagan McIntosh (21) and Makenna Homan (2) celebrate after defeating Acalanes during the 2025 NCS Girls Flag Football Div. II Championship game at Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Cardinal Newman defeated Acalanes 34-6. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
