RIVERSIDE — The game could have gotten away from the North girls flag football team a couple of times Tuesday night. But each time Summit threatened to take charge, someone on North’s defense made sure the Huskies maintained a firm grip on the momentum. Remi Martinez, Elaina Serrano, Malaiah Mayo, Xochitl Frias and Sophia Gonzales all intercepted a pass Tuesday, as North outlasted Summit 26-20 in a CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoff opener. The Huskies took advantage of the turnovers, converting them into 20 points. North (9-8) heads to Moreno Valley (14-5) for a second-round game Saturday at 5 p.m.. The teams played Sept. 7, with Moreno Valley winning 18-14. “We gave up some stuff we shouldn’t have at times, but they always recovered and came through with a big play,” North coach Damon Morton said of his defense. “We have prepared for this and have played well the last eight games or so. And they know it’s win or go home now.” North’s defense made a big stop on fourth down on the opening possession of the game. The offense took over, and Naomi Shannon connected with Amillion Hamilton for a 50-yard completion. Two plays later, Shannon hit Gonzales for a 3-yard touchdown to put the Huskies up 6-0. The score remained that way until late in the first half. Summit (14-7) got a stop on defense and took over on its 19 with a little more than two minutes on the clock. But on the first play of that drive, Martinez intercepted a pass from SkyHawks quarterback Arianna Munoz. North capitalized when Shannon tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Mayo with 12 seconds left in the half to help extend the lead to 13-0. “We were nervous at the beginning, but I think getting that second touchdown right before halftime helped settled us down,” Morton said. Summit got on the board early in the second half, as Munoz and Morghan Davis connected on a 28-yard score to trim that deficit to 13-6. The SkyHawks had a chance to draw even or take the lead minutes later, but Mayo picked off a pass and returned to 30 yards for a score. “Our defense relies a lot on one another and trusting that everyone is going to do their job,” said Mayo, a junior middle linebacker and wide receiver. “We watched some game footage on this team. I knew they liked to go with those short passes on early down… I saw that coming and made a break on the ball. And once I got my hands on that ball, I just ran as fast as I could until I scored the touchdown.” Summit battled back and made it a one-score game with about 8 minutes remaining in the game. Kamryn Ellis made a highlight-reel catch, outleaping defenders for a 32-yard catch. Munoz then found Christina Castillo for a 6-yard touchdown to get the SkyHawks within 20-12. Frias intercepted a pass with 5:40 remaining in the game, and Shannon tossed a 41-yard touchdown to Angelina Martinez on the next play. Gonzales capped a big evening for North’s defense when she tallied the fifth interception with 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the contest. Summit did not go away quietly, however, as Munoz and Davis hooked up for a 9-yard touchdown with less than a minute left in the game. There are no onside kicks in flag football, however, so Shannon took a knee and the final seconds remaining on the clock ticked away. “This is really big. First playoff win,” Mayo said. “It’s a great feeling because we have our whole school and community supporting us.” Related Articles High School Sports | IE Varsity’s CIF Southern Section playoff scoreboard for Tuesday, Oct. 22 High School Sports | For Vista Murrieta girls cross country standout Erika Kirk, it’s all about family High School Sports | Inland girls athlete of the week: Devi’arre Lucas, Redlands High School Sports | Inland boys athlete of the week: Dane Weber, Chaparral High School Sports | IE Varsity’s CIF Southern Section playoff schedule for Wednesday, Oct. 23 Shannon completed 23 of 39 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Angelina Martinez finished with nine receptions for 120 yards. Munoz completed 16 of 33 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Ellis led Summit’s receiving corps with six catches for 99 yards. Summit’s first year ended Tuesday evening, but coach Adrieanna Hooks watched her players progress throughout the course of the season. “A lot of these players had no idea how football really worked,” Hooks said. “There were some tough times early for us, but they kept working and getting better. We were able to win a league championship this year, so there’s a lot we can build on in the years ahead.”