How to watch: Can Newport Harbor end JSerra Catholic's 55-game win streak in California Southern Section flag football final?

No. 3 Sailors seek to end No. 1 Lions' quest for back-to-back undefeated seasons in Southern Section Open Division final.

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Nov 5, 2026, 2:00pm
The California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Open Division flag football championship will be streamed live Saturday on the NFHS Network.

JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) has held down the national No. 1 ranking all season after a 28-0 finish in 2025. The Lions have extended that win streak to 55 games heading into Saturday's final against No. 3 Newport Harbor (Newport Beach). 

The Sailors (23-4) look to become the first team to hand JSerra Catholic a loss since the opening round of the Southern Section playoffs in 2024. The Lions (27-0) have beaten Newport Harbor twice already this season, including a 23-6 win on Aug. 15 and a 21-6 win in the championship game of the inaugural MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown in Chula Vista in September.

Southern Section Open Division championship
No. 1 JSerra Catholic vs. No. 3 Newport Harbor
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
Time: 8:30 p.m. PT
Streaming: NFHS Network
Location: Huntington Beach High School
JSerra Catholic quarterback Kate Meier tries to escape a wall of Newport Harbor defenders during the MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown championship on Sept. 12, 2026. The Lions and Sailors will meet again Saturday in the CIF Southern Section Open Division final, which will be streamed live on the NFHS Network. (FILE PHOTO: Dale Edwards)
JSerra Catholic quarterback Kate Meier tries to escape a wall of Newport Harbor defenders during the MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown championship on Sept. 12, 2026. The Lions and Sailors will meet again Saturday in the CIF Southern Section Open Division final, which will be streamed live on the NFHS Network. (FILE PHOTO: Dale Edwards)
JSerra Catholic has dominated the opposition in 2026, averaging 32 points per game and holding 18 teams to single-digit scoring with eight shutouts. 

The Lions are led by sophomore sensations Kate Meier and Tessa Russell, both members of the U17 USA Junior National Team. Meier has 7,128 passing yards with 95 touchdowns while rushing for 771 yards and 23 scores. Russell has 2,299 receiving yards with 33 touchdowns to go with 87 flag pulls and 10 interceptions on defense.

JSerra Catholic also features two other players with more than 1,000 receiving yards in seniors Kai Beary and Avery Olson. Fellow senior G.G. Szczuka is on the brink of that milestone with 918 yards heading into Saturday's final.

Newport Harbor reached the Southern Section Division 1 final in 2024, narrowly losing to Orange Lutheran (Orange). Since the program's inaugural season in 2023, the Sailors are 96-11 under head coach Jason Guyser and likely to earn a top-five national ranking for the third time in four years.

Quarterback Scarlett Guyser is one of the top two-way players in the state, throwing for 2,720 yards and 45 touchdowns with 779 rushing yards and nine scores while posting 46 flag pulls and a team-high 15 interceptions.

Blakely Irvine leads the team with 842 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns while Skylie Cid and Emma Yokoi have hauled in 12 TD passes apiece.

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