The562’s coverage of girls’ flag football is sponsored by the Los Angeles Chargers.
The sports programs at Millikan have flourished over the past decade or so; from baseball to soccer, wrestling to cross country, the numbers are up and so are the victories. The newest sport at Millikan is flag football, with the Rams making their debut last season with most of their fellow Moore League schools.
Now in year two, with the CIF-SS playoffs debuting after the 2024 regular season, the Rams are hoping to make their mark in yet another sport.
“Obviously we know the game a little more, we’ve got some returning girls and we’ve got some young talent, which is good,” said coach Romeo Pellum. “And we have some girls that really want to compete and take it seriously. A lot of girls saw it last year, there were a ton of girls that wanted to come try out and play, and the response has been really good.”
Pellum said that Sophia Sala is probably the best athlete on the team, bringing her track skills out to the football field. Junior Kate Martin is also a key returner for the Rams who will be a contributor on both sides of the ball, playing slot receiver on offense and linebacker on defense. She said that the Millikan roster is much more familiar with the sport this season after learning it fresh last time around.
“A lot of our girls have already played another sport, soccer and basketball mostly, so we’re trying to learn a different sport with all different backgrounds of playing defense or offense,” Martin explained. “It was interesting last year to see how people reacted to it, and now this year, I think we’re much more comfortable and know how to play.”
Millikan will have a new quarterback this year with sophomore Holly Ibarra stepping in. Ibarra is also a softball player for the Rams. She’ll be joined in the backfield by Katelyn Torres, who’s back as the running back this season.
The leader of Millikan’s young talent is freshman Sophia Romo, who is already proving to be a dangerous weapon.
“She’s been making a ton of plays, man, you can tell that she has a lot of experience,” Pellum said of Romo.
The Rams opened their season with a 33-15 win over Tustin, and results have been up-and-down against a tough non-league schedule. But Coach Pellum said the team is focused on performing their best during Moore League play and are excited to compete with the rest of the local squads with a chance at a playoff spot later in the year.
