Dual threat quarterback Delia Stone tries to gain yards. (Photos courtesy John Luciano, For OC Sports Zone).
Woodbridge’s dual threat quarterback Delia Stone has rolled up some big offensive numbers to lead the Warriors to the Pacific Coast League championship and into the CIF Girls Flag Football Open Division playoffs.
The sophomore is hoping to keep the good times rolling for the Warriors when the playoffs begin Saturday.
Woodbridge, the sixth-seeded team, starts the playoffs Saturday at 5 p.m. at home against No. 10-seeded Downey. The open division has a pool play format with each team playing two games before the semifinals begin. Woodbridge also plays at No. 3 Orange Lutheran on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
“We started off our season with not a ton of confidence, I would say,” Stone said. “Coming off of last season, we had a lot of injuries and we weren’t as good. But this year, coach Ben {Swinford, offensive coordinator} has put together a very, very good program alongside coach Mark {Thompson, head coach} and Coach {Ryan} Brucker and they’ve used all of our skills to put them together to create a team that is really, really good and impactful on the field.
“It’s a lot of strategy, we are definitely not a normal team like others. I’m a running quarterback and I throw as much as a I run probably and we have different players that are faster and better flag pullers and the strategies our coaches have come up with have helped us succeed in a lot of different ways.”
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So far this season, Stone has completed 672 of 938 passes for 7,073 yards, tops in the state, according to Thompson. She has thrown 110 touchdown passes, also number one in the state.
Stone has also rushed for 1,471 yards on 215 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. As a safety on defense, Stone has recorded 14 interceptions, tops in the PCL and 75 flag pulls.
“Delia means a tremendous amount to our team, both as a player and as a leader,” Thompson said. “She’s a dynamic quarterback and a true dual threat. Her ability to make plays with both her arm and her legs gives our offense another dimension and makes it difficult for opposing defenses to prepare for her. She has a great understanding of the game, makes good decisions, and has the ability to make something happen even when a play breaks down.
“But what really makes Delia special is the kind of teammate she is. She’s the first one running down the field to congratulate a receiver after a touchdown, and she’s always there to encourage her teammates when they make a mistake. She leads by example through her work ethic, positive attitude and commitment to getting better. She’s an incredibly hard worker, both during and outside of practice, and is always looking for ways to improve her game.
Stone began the season completing 31 of 40 passes for 342 yards and six touchdowns in a 41-13 victory over defending CIF Division 2 champion Corona del Mar.
Stone also had a big game in the Warriors 46-6 victory over Santa Margarita, completing 26 of 37 passes for 259 yards and six touchdowns and rushing for 94 yards and one TD.
Against St. Margaret’s, Stone completed 24 of 32 passes for 370 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 106 yards and a TD.
“She means a lot to the team,” said Swinford, the offensive coordinator. “She’s been able to elevate everybody around her, she worked hard in the off-season to get here with the core group and it’s really showing. To double your passing yards in one season is quite the feat. Her team has a lot of depth and there are a lot of people she can throw to and she’s a magician.
“I think she probably throws half the the plays I call and the other half are just her working her magic to ad-lib and to get it to someone who she thinks is more open than what I thought and she’s always right. It works out well.”
Stone’s love of flag football began when she was in the fourth grade.
“We were playing against boys in the beginning and I have some teammates that go all the way back to fourth grade that still play with me today,” said Stone, who also plays soccer. “My older brother actually played flag for a really long time and I’ve been asking my dad to create a team and I got together with a bunch of my best friends and we made one in Matt Leinart {league}.
“I love the competitiveness, it’s just such a fast paced and fun game. When I first started playing, we were playing against a bunch of boys and the second season, there was only one other girls team aside from us and to see the way it’s grown from all boys to 100 girls teams just in this area is very impressive.”
The Warriors (22-4) rolled through Pacific Coast League play, going undefeated to capture the league title.
“Last season, we had a tough league, but a lot of teams lost seniors and since we’re such a young team, it was only up from last season and I think we grew a lot over the summer, all the prep we did in summer camp and we worked really hard over the season to compete the way we did,” Stone said.
Sports is a way of life for Stone. Her brother Waylon, is a standout quarterback on the Woodbridge football team and led the Warriors to the CIF Division 13 championship last year. Her father Shea, who attends all of her games, is a 1993 Woodbridge graduate and played four years of football at Woodbridge, including the 1991 and 1992 seasons on varsity.
“I guess I’ve just grown up with sports in my life from soccer, football, baseball,” Stone said. “My brother has really gotten me into different sports, especially football. If it weren’t for him playing Matt Leinart {league} I don’t think I’d even be playing flag football today. It’s really nice having people around me who want me to succeed and who love the competition and are always there to help me.
“Waylon, my dad, my grandparents, I’m just so lucky to have them. My grandparents love coming to the games. My teammates always point them out and my mom too, and it’s really fun having them there.”
She and Waylon talk about their games at home.
“His big football games, we will always talk about them, sometimes we will go through a little film but most of the time, my dad will film the games, then he will stream them on the TV and we will all watch it together for fun,” she said.
Shea Stone has also provided direction for his daughter.
“His advice is to have fun with what I’m doing,” Stone said. “Competition now is so big in the sport, it’s growing so much and I have so many opportunities with this sport, he just wants me to take advantage of everything I can. He wants me to do everything I can to succeed and use all the opportunities I have.”
Stone has some time to decide her college plans.
“As of right now, with the way that flag football is growing, there is no reason for me to not take that opportunity and use it. All the schools are coming out with club teams that are going to turn into huge Division 1 and Division 2 teams and it would be so great if I got to use that to my advantage and get to a college and play sports.”
Stone said she’s grateful to be on a talented and supportive team.
“I have a bunch of good teammates on this team, I have one D1 soccer commit (Laney Brucker) who is going to Hawaii next year. She has such a fun time with football and it’s kind of her side sport, but she works so hard and makes it seem like it’s her only sport.
“I’m so lucky to be on a team like this. We have so many good players who are always willing to work together and if I didn’t join a team like this with players like this and coaches like Coach Ben and Coach Mark and Coach Brucker, I would not be the player I am today.”
Stone is looking for a successful run in the playoffs.
“Obviously, I want to win but I also want everyone to stay healthy and just have a really fun time,” she said. “This season has already been so successful …. I can only see us getting better from here. I’m just really excited to go and play with these girls again.”
—-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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