Newport Harbor shut out rival Corona del Mar 25-0 in the first Battle of the Bay girls' flag football game of the season Monday, Sept. 14.

The No. 2-ranked Sailors (14-2) dominated the No. 5 Sea Kings (9-2) in a Sunset League showdown between two of Orange County's top programs. Daily Pilot reporter Matt Szabo reported the result on X.

The lopsided win extended a dominant stretch for Newport Harbor, which entered the rivalry game fresh off a runner-up finish at the inaugural MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown in Chula Vista. Junior quarterback and safety Scarlett Guyser earned defensive MVP honors at that tournament, according to the Orange County Register.

Newport Harbor reached the MaxPreps final by edging Huntington Beach 8-7 in triple sudden-death overtime in the semifinals. Guyser completed a short pass to junior wide receiver Skylie Cid to advance on the longer-play tiebreaker. In the championship, Guyser intercepted a pass at the JSerra 21-yard line and threw a 14-yard touchdown to Blakely Irvine on fourth down. It was the first touchdown JSerra allowed all tournament. The Lions still won 21-6, according to the OC Register's tournament recap.

"We gave it everything we had … We're hoping to play them again in CIF," coach Jason Guyser said after the Sept. 12 final.

The Sailors are also ranked No. 2 statewide by the Los Angeles Times. Their only two losses this season have come against JSerra, which is 15-0 and riding a 43-game winning streak.

Newport Harbor is chasing a fourth straight Sunset League title. Defense has been the backbone. Coach Guyser said after the Sailors' Aug. 26 league-opening win over Edison that the team hangs its hat on defense, noting that outside of games against top-ranked JSerra, "we've yet to give up more than a touchdown," as reported by the Daily Pilot.

Monday's 25-0 shutout backed up that claim. The Sea Kings, who won the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship in November 2025, entered the game with momentum of their own. CdM head coach Theo Rokos said after his team's Aug. 26 win over Huntington Beach that the Sea Kings felt they belonged among the elite but still had to prove it in marquee matchups.

Both teams return to action Thursday, Sept. 17. Newport Harbor hosts Huntington Beach in a Sunset League game, while Corona del Mar hosts top-ranked JSerra. The two rivals meet again Oct. 7 at Newport Harbor for the second Battle of the Bay.