Joseph Sciarrino is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Seton Catholic Preparatory High School for AZPreps365.com

Junior Seton Catholic flag football quarterback Ava Pongratz embraced the heat of the moment on Sept. 26.

After the Sentinels (4-2, 0-1 3A Central) defeated Valley Christian (3-2 3A South) on the road, Pongratz answered the final media question and prepared to celebrate with her teammates behind her.

But here’s the thing. The quarterback was completely oblivious to what the team planned to do once the interview ended.

Before she could react, a Sentinels coach, along with Pongratz's father, dumped a bin full of water and ice onto her back.

Although the freezing water refreshed Pongratz from the Arizona heat, the Sentinels' win ignited a fire within the team.

“I think [the win] lifts morale a ton,” Pongratz said. “We’re on a roll here, and morale is high and everyone’s just excited for the season.”

After Seton Catholic lost 24-0 against Benjamin Franklin High School on Sept. 23, head coach Billy Baker’s roster responded with an offensive masterclass at Valley Christian High School in a 32-3 win.

Pongratz showcased her playmaking skills with a 30-plus-yard touchdown on her first pass attempt of the game. On the other side of the ball, Baker’s defense forced more than 10 incompletions and an interception that became a major turning point in the game.

In the first quarter, Pongratz and freshman Sentinels wide receiver Gianna Pistilli teamed up to put the first points on the board.

While on the Trojans' 30-yard line, Pongratz deciphered the incoming pressure and heaved a pass toward Pistilli’s direction.

As the ball descended into Pistilli’s grasp, the freshman maneuvered through the Trojans defense and cruised into the end zone.  

The Sentinels sideline celebrates after Pongratz's (#18) opening touchdown pass. (Joe Pongratz photo/AZPreps365)

The Sentinels duo didn’t stop there, though.

On the next offensive drive, Pongratz found freshman wide receiver Lucianna “LuLu” Barone over the middle, stationing Seton Catholic inside the Trojans' 20-yard line.

Following a Pongratz scramble that put the team inside the 5-yard line, the quarterback then located Pistilli in the end zone, increasing Seton’s lead to 13.

Even with Pongratz revealing her downfield passing attack in the first quarter, the Trojans still couldn’t contain it.

A big reason proved to be the presence of junior Sentinels wide receiver Giovanna “G” Di Scala.

With less than a minute left in the second quarter, Seton stood inside the red zone with a chance to increase its 13-3 lead.

On the first snap, Di Scala glided toward the end zone and, midway through the route, turned to face her quarterback.

As she turned, the incoming football filled her vision, and she secured the catch while crossing the goal line.

Following the Sentinels' touchdown celebration, the scoreboard clock inched down to zero, signaling the end of the first half.

As its alarm blared, fans caught a glimpse of the current score.

Sentinels 20.

Trojans 3.

Despite the first half containing intense double coverage from the Trojans defense, Pongratz said her receivers “accepted the challenge” and continuously “rose to the occasion”.

“In practice, they fight for the ball no matter what,” Pongratz said. “So I think because I can trust them in practice, I can trust them in the game as well.”

While Di Scala’s touchdown decorated the highlight reel, the interception prior is what created the scoring opportunity.

As the second quarter ticked away, Valley Christian’s offense occupied the field after its defense forced the Sentinels to punt for the first time in the contest.

With the Trojans holding momentum, the offense decided to use the passing game to try and generate a scoring drive.

But on the first play, Barone intercepted junior quarterback Tessa Clausen.

Trojans quarterback Tessa Clausen receives a snap. (Joseph Sciarrino photo/AZPreps365)Despite the impressive play, Baker said his squad doesn’t really practice that much defense throughout the week because he already knows what type of unit he has.

“I trust and believe in all [of] the girls that go out there and play with heart, character and determination,” Baker said. “They understand where I’m going as a coach in my mind… and they go and just execute.”

While the Sentinels tallied more than 30 points during the game, that doesn’t mean that Pongratz never encountered danger while looking for open receivers. 

Coming into the matchup, junior Trojans rusher Mackenzie Hackett led the 3A Conference stat leaderboard in both total flag pulls (25) and sacks (16).

And her performance against the Sentinels clearly backed up those numbers.

Throughout the game, Hackett stopped Pongratz from creating explosive scrambles and pressured the star quarterback into committing four interceptions.

Trojans head coach Billy Ernst praised Hackett’s “promising” performance despite a rough defensive showing from his team.

“She’s going to be a sack leader in the state for 3A and hopefully the whole state," Ernst said. “So seeing that pressure on the quarterback always helps the defense perform and get things done.”

While Ernst prepared to regroup his team for the remainder of the season, Baker looked at just how far the Sentinel’s flag football program had come.

Seton Catholic head coach Billy Baker watches his offense prepare for a play. (Joseph Sciarrino photo/AZPreps365)

In its inaugural 2024-25 season, the team finished 2-11 while losing 17-0 against Valley Christian.

Then in the 2025-2026 season, Seton Catholic mustered six wins but lost to the Trojans again.

This time, 28-0.

But now, in the 2026-27 campaign, the Sentinels overcame the struggles that plagued them for years against the Trojans. 

And not only that. On Sept. 21, Seton Catholic also got its revenge against St. John Paul II, the team that beat it in the first round of the 2025-26 playoffs, with a 17-0 victory.

“We’ve been waiting for this,” Baker said. “We started [the program] with pretty much everybody as freshmen… we challenged them, and they took the challenge and they’re running with it.”