2025 Flag Football

Sunnyside senior QB Lerma completes seven TD passes, gets pick-6 in season-opening win

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FINAL SCORE

Sunnyside 64, Pueblo 0

Sunnyside is 1-0 and Pueblo (playing in its first season) is 0-2.

SUMMARY

Sunnyside senior quarterback Anyssa Lerma, one of the top returners at her position in the state, dominated the game. She completed her first 15 passes (all in the first half) en route to a 22-of-26 performance for 270 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. She also had a pick-6 of 18 yards to cap the scoring with 3:40 left in the game. Lerma led Sunnyside to a touchdown in the Blue Devils’ first nine possessions. Sunnyside went into victory formation for its 10th and final possession. Freshman receiver Danitza Siquieros‘ three receptions were all touchdowns of seven, 16 and 23 yards. Four other receivers caught the rest of the touchdown passes — Alexsandra Arce-Marquez, Clarissa Canastillo, Exela Gamez and Essney Lazo. Canastillo also scored on a hook-and-ladder play in which Lerma completed a pass of three yards to Julissa Jimenez, who gave the ball to Canastillo for a 15-yard touchdown run. The Sunnyside defense was also stellar, limiting the Warriors to no rushing yards out of six attempts. Pueblo quarterback Alyssa Pallanes completed 13 of 29 attempts for 70 yards.

STANDOUT

Lerma targeted eight different receivers for her 22 completions that totaled 270 yards. She also rushed for 58 yards on six carries, including a run of 30 yards. Showing her athleticism, she sprinted away from Pueblo’s players after her interception for the final touchdown of the game. She is a returning All-6A Central first-team selection.

WHAT SHE SAID

“The development this summer really helped us a lot,” Lerma said about her wide assortment of talent, to whom she passes the ball. “There are a lot of girls. I do want to mention Exela Gamez. She was an underdog last year. She was one of our subs. She didn’t really play that much. During the offseason, she put in a lot of work. That’s mainly what the other people did, too. Our talent is vey raw and they’re growing each and every day.”

On the effectiveness of trick plays that included multiple double-reverses and the hook-and-ladder touchdowns: “It takes a lot of discipline on those, especially at practice. Those plays are not easy. We do get hammered a lot. It takes discipline. That’s why a lot of those plays have been working. We understand that if we don’t do this little specific thing right, the play’s not going to develop. Our coach, my dad (Alfredo Lerma) always says the team is like a machine, a car machine. If the motor’s not working, the car ain’t running. If one of the players is not doing the job, the car ain’t going to run, especially on those plays.”

NOTES

  • The receiving stats for Sunnyside: Gamez seven receptions for 63 yards, Arce-Marquez (5-59), Siquieros (3-46), Lazo (2-35), Alicia Guzman (2-24), Canastilla (1-18), Julianna Martinez (1-14), and Jimenez (1-3).
  • Pueblo’s Tatyana Germany had seven receptions for 31 yards.
  • Four days after winning the varsity cross country race at the Los Mezquites Invitational, Sunnyside senior Nathaly Bracamonte played with the Blue Devils against Pueblo and recorded a 10-yard run.
  • The game was delayed by 45 minutes at the start due to lightning in the area.
  • The Warriors, who lost 16-0 at Rio Rico on Tuesday in their first game in program history, next play at Sahuaro on Wednesday. Sunnyside will host Phoenix Trevor Browne on Tuesday and district rival Desert View on Wednesday.

COACHSPEAK

Alfredo Lerma said Sunnyside’s offseason of hard work is “really going to help us.” “Last year was our first year, so we were trying to figure things out a little bit,” he added. “I have really high hopes for this team this season here.” The Blue Devils finished 10-5 last season.

On the leadership of his daughter, Anyssa, he mentioned, “She loves playing. She understands her position. I’m very proud of her, what she did for the team.”

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.

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