Redwood's girls flag football team routed Archie Williams 54-6 on Monday, Oct. 5, at home in Larkspur, with sophomore quarterback Annaliese Pyle and a stifling defense leading the way.

Pyle opened the scoring in the first quarter with a touchdown pass to sophomore Emma Stein for a 6-0 lead, according to the Redwood Bark. Junior Guo-Ting Tseng intercepted the ball twice in the first half, and Redwood carried a 34-6 advantage into the break.

"I think GT [Tseng] did really well today. She had a bunch of key plays, so that was really exciting for her," team captain Riya Pyle told the student newspaper.

Head coach Michael Zlatoper asked his players to sharpen their short-yardage execution in the second half. They responded. Riya Pyle caught a touchdown pass in the end zone from her sister Annaliese, and junior Alexa Martin scored on a 20-yard run to stretch the margin further.

Assistant coach Gregg Wallace said the team needed an early adjustment despite the lopsided final score. Wallace said the coaching staff called a timeout and told the players to hold themselves to "Redwood football" standards. He added that the squad's confidence has grown steadily through the season.

The Giants have been dominant in Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) play. They shut out Novato 36-0 on Sept. 28, with Pyle passing for 125 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for two more in the first half alone. On Sept. 16, Redwood beat Marin Catholic 32-6.

The run of form fits the ambitions Zlatoper set when he took over the program this summer. After the Sept. 28 Novato shutout, Zlatoper told the Redwood Bark, "Our goal this year is to win MCAL, and we're trying to use every game to get a little bit better for the next."

This is the team's first season competing in Division I of the North Coast Section (NCS), Zlatoper said in a September coaching profile.

Team captain Juliet McNamara said the Giants have been installing new plays in practice and preparing specifically for their matchup against Amador Valley.

“We have mostly been preparing for our big competition against Amador,” she told the Redwood Bark.

Redwood was scheduled to face Terra Linda on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and is scheduled to play Amador Valley on Thursday, Oct. 8.