Liberty Ranch Flag football seniors Savanna Garbarino, Kamrynn Blevins, and Fatima Cabrera with coaches Mike Turpin and Andy Peterson.

GALT, CA (MPG) - Liberty Ranch’s flag football team has allowed one touchdown in two playoff games, and the Hawks are two wins from a section title.

The sixth-seeded Hawks (21-4) dispatched Oakmont 45-0 in the first round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs, then held third-seeded Natomas scoreless for a half Monday on the road before pulling away for a 19-6 quarterfinal victory.

Liberty Ranch will host seventh-seeded Wheatland (17-3-1) in the semifinals Wednesday at 6 p.m. The winner advances to the section championship game Saturday at Cosumnes River College.

Against Natomas, neither team scored before halftime. The Hawks broke through with six points in the third quarter and added 13 in the fourth, and Natomas answered with a single touchdown.

On defense, Kirinjeet Dhaliwal grabs that flag and stops the play.

The first round was never in doubt. Liberty Ranch led 19-0 after one quarter and 32-0 at halftime, then added six points in the third and seven in the fourth.

"We had 50 interceptions in league and zero on our side for the year," said Andy Peterson, the program's inaugural head coach, now in his third season. "We've got really good players, good defensive players. They're smart girls, they're coachable, and they do what we ask."

That turnover margin has defined the season. Peterson said the formula has not changed.

“It’s the same as it has been all year: defense, control the ball, don't turn the ball over and make the other team beat us,” he said. “As long as we don't turn the ball over, play good defense and take advantage of the cheap opportunities to score when we can, that's it.”

Gianna Farren stretches and makes an amazing catch and scores.

Lexi Williams intercepted three passes in the playoff opener, part of a secondary that has turned film study into a weekly contest. The junior averages five flag pulls per game.

“Usually, I watch a lot of film before the game, and I really focus on the quarterback,” Williams said. “Their eyes tell a lot. Every time I go into a game, I think, ‘OK, how many picks can I get tonight?’ That’s my motivation.”

The Hawks went 14-0 in league play to win the title, allowing just two touchdowns along the way — one to Bradshaw Christian and one to El Dorado. Every other league opponent was shut out.

Liberty Ranch honored its seniors before its final home game against Galt, then beat the Warriors 67-0.

The senior class includes Kamrynn Blevins, Savanna Garbarino and Fatima Cabrera, the three upperclassmen who have been on the team since its inception. Blevins leads the section in rushing with 1,289 yards and has scored 23 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.

Kamrynn Blevins attempts another interception.

Now comes Wheatland, the Pioneer Valley League runner-up and the bracket's No. 7 seed. The Pirates have won five straight, including an 18-12 first-round decision over Hughson and a 30-25 quarterfinal win at Livingston on Monday.

Wheatland is not a typical seven seed. MaxPreps ranks the Pirates seventh in Division IV, one spot behind the Hawks, and they are led by a pair of underclassmen. Freshman Caylee Hansen has thrown for 2,648 yards and scored 30 touchdowns, while junior Jorden Hill has 32 interceptions and averages 76.2 receiving yards per game. Freshman Evelyn Tillotson has 43 sacks.

Something has to give. Liberty Ranch has won 20 straight since a 1-4 start, and the Hawks have not allowed more than seven points in a game since September.