GUSTINE, Calif. — The Gustine Reds varsity girls flag football team is off to a challenging start in the 2025 season, dropping their first three games in decisive fashion. Despite the setbacks, head coach Megan Azevedo remains optimistic, citing the team’s resilience and the learning curve introduced by new CIF rule changes.

The Reds opened their season at home with a 40-0 loss to Escalon, followed by a 44-0 defeat against Los Banos and a 65-0 loss to Sierra. The trio of shutouts extended Gustine’s losing streak to nine games, dating back to last season.

Sierra’s standout quarterback Tessa Zalunardo delivered a dominant performance against Gustine, rushing for 60 yards and a touchdown while completing 90.9% of her passes for 112 yards and two scores. Her 159.8 passer rating marked a career high. Teammate Priya Dhaliwal added a touchdown off 47 receiving yards.

Gustine’s lone win came by forfeit in the Orestimba Tournament on Aug. 23, when Mendota High School was unable to field a team. While the scoreboard hasn’t favored the Reds, Azevedo said the early games were about building fundamentals.

“The girls are always willing to learn and have been trying their hardest to understand the game of football for the upcoming season,” Azevedo said. “The first two games and the tournament were a learning experience for everyone because they were against teams that are bigger than us and have been able to train all year round.”

The 2025 season also marks the rollout of several CIF rule changes aimed at making flag football more dynamic. Among the updates: quarterbacks can now run the ball without restriction, defenders can rush from the line of scrimmage instead of starting seven yards back, and screen blocking is permitted anywhere on the field as long as it’s non-contact. The game format has also shifted to four 12-minute quarters with a running clock.

“These rule changes have changed the game a little bit for all of us,” Azevedo said. “Once we start playing teams in our league, we will be more competitive and able to show the true skills of our team to everyone.”