The562’s coverage of girls’ flag football is sponsored by the Los Angeles Chargers.
The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
After just their first year of flag football the Jordan Panthers have already waved goodbye to all three of their first-team all Moore-League seniors from last year as coach AJ Luke looks to rebuild his team around new young talent. The Panthers are welcoming six newcomers this year including a handful of Jordan athletes in other programs.
One of those dual sport athletes is Janiah Lorne, who was unable to play last year due to time conflicts with her basketball schedule. Lorne is now dedicating herself to a full season on the gridiron and has since established herself as a leader on a young Jordan roster.
“I’ve just tried to be a leader and stay focused,” said the junior. “We just try to hype each other up and make sure that no one puts their head down. Even if someone messes up a bad play I try to tell them that they got it and to move onto the next play.”
Lorne will play next to just three returners for Jordan in Amber Reyes and captains Ma Timu and second-team all Moore-League Lilliana Seramento. Meanwhile Bree Patu, Julie Batso, Crystal Beltran, Abigail Estrada, and Valery Mesa are all newcomers.
“I think we all just have to grow our chemistry as a team since there’s a lot of new players coming in and with players leaving,” Lorne said. “So I think we’ll have to adjust to new players and help each other with what we can and can’t do.”
Coach AJ Luke is focused on growing his program in his second year and is making efforts to find support for his athletes.
“We are creating a social media presence and networking with a few WNBA players to support girls playing multiple sports while in high school,” he said.
The Panthers opened the season with 20-12 win over Downey, but have since dropped their last three games. With the bulk of their Moore League schedule to come, Luke says he just wants to see his team comepete and stick to it.
“[To me], a successful season is watching our girls compete at a high level and learning how not to give up during trying times. Creating a competitive mindset with priorities on academic success.”
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