IVC makes a late push

The 2026 flag football season is winding down and most of the teams have either completed or are close to completing their spring schedule.  Irvine Valley became the first Orange Empire Conference champion this past week when they defeated Cypress College.

IVC moved up to No. 4 in the Filthy 20 Rankings and No. 2 in the state of California.  The Lasers defeated Cypress, 32-27, in the OEC title game and won their last six games against solid competition. Irvine Valley trailed late in the game but had a pick-six and late touchdown to rally past the Chargers.

IVC had five different players named to the All-Orange Empire Conference First Team in Akaya Chaple, Allison Faggella, Marisol Gongora, Sara Johnston and Emily Harris while having Maya McKenna, Crystal Cervates and Berlin Barraza make the second team. 

Florida Gateway continues to lead the inaugural Filthy 20 Rankings and has a couple more hurdles to get past if they want to win a fourth straight NJCAA title.  The Timberwolves were pressed in their final game when they defeated Daytona State, 7-0, in the FCSAA title game.  They will be one of six teams invited to the NJCAA Flag Football Invitational to be held at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, starting on May 7.  In the FGC three-team bracket will be No. 13 Hartford CC (MD) and No. 7 Bryant & Stratton College (WI).  No. 5 Daytona State will also represent Florida in the other three-team bracket alongside host No. 19 College of DuPage and No. 20 Roxbury (MA).

Ventura continues to be the top-ranked team out west at No. 3.  The Pirates are now 16-2 after winning their own tournament last week.  They will finish the season against four-year Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Friday.

The rest of the JCGridiron.com Filthy 20 Rankings follow.

The Filthy 20

Rank	School	City	Record
1	Florida Gateway	Lake City, FL	15-1
2	Wallace	Hanceville, AL	0-0 (20-0 in fall)
3	Ventura	Ventura, CA	16-2
4	Irvine Valley	Irvine, CA	15-4
5	Daytona State	Daytona Beach, FL	9-4
6	Cypress	Cypress, CA	18-6
7	Bryant & Stratton	Wauwatosa, WI	8-4
8	Pratt	Pratt, KS	7-4
9	Saddleback	Mission Viejo, CA	17-7
10	Shelton State	Tuscaloosa, AL	0-0 (11-6 in fall)
11	Snead State	Boaz, AL	0-0 (13-8 in fall)
12	Oxnard	Oxnard, CA	9-2
13	Hartford	Bel Air, MD	5-6
14	Modesto	Modesto, CA	2-2
15	Norco	Norco, CA	12-6
16	Calhoun	Decatur, AL	0-0 (13-6 in fall)
17	Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara, CA	3-4
18	Golden West	Huntington Beach, CA	6-8
19	DuPage	Glen Ellyn, IL	4-8
20	Roxbury	Boston, MA	2-3

Others on the Bubble: Diablo Valley (CA), North Central Missouri, East Los Angeles (CA), MiraCosta (CA), Bishop State (AL)