The562’s coverage of girls’ flag football is sponsored by the Los Angeles Chargers.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.
There’s a first time for everything, and at Long Beach’s oldest high school, there’s an enduring resolve to make history whenever possible.
So in the debut season of Moore League flag football, the Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits made it their mission to win the first ever league title in the emerging sport. It was mission accomplished for the green & gold last year, as they went unbeaten against the rest of the Moore League.
Now in 2024, with the addition of CIF-SS playoffs at the end of the year, there’s a new milestone for the Jackrabbits to pursue, and more history to try and make.
“I’m excited that (the sport is) growing and that we have an opportunity to compete for a CIF championship,” said Poly head coach Rob Shock, who made sure not to overlook the rest of the league. “That’s a special opportunity, but we have to take care of the main things first and foremost.”
Poly returns a ton of depth and experience, starting with senior captain and QB1, Aaya McLyn, a Washington State commit as a soccer player. McLyn has great mobility and a strong arm as a passer, but she can also be used as a weapon at wide receiver. She’s excited about the new playoff bracket and is eager to help lead her team to a championship in 2024.
“I’m so excited. This year, our team is definitely shooting for that ring, especially all of our seniors,” McLyn said. “This is our last year to play; since flag isn’t at that D1 level yet (in college), we all chose other sports, and we need this ring to kind of lift up our experience.”
Her co-captain, junior Ki’ele Ho-Ching, should be one of her favorite targets in the passing game. The softball superstar is a weapon on both sides of the ball and brings a lot of playing experience during her time on campus. Junior Janelle Morris can use her height as a red zone target for the Jackrabbits, and has been a reliable pass catcher as well.
Junior Neela Bagley is also back after putting up great numbers as a speedy running back and wide receiver a season ago, along with junior Zadie Kuykendall who saw lots of playing time in 2023.
When McLyn checks in at wide receiver, Shock has a lot of confidence in sophomore Kenzie Paimany at quarterback. She got plenty of reps last season as a freshman serving as McLyn’s backup and offers the Jackrabbits additional flexibility in their lineups.
Defensively, the Jackrabbits will have a nice group of returning seniors, with Malawna Green at cornerback and soccer players Caitlyn Jung and Alex Valente at linebacker. Most players on the roster play another sport for the Jackrabbits, and Shock said that has been a huge help in getting the sport off the ground.
“There’s a bigger interest and there’s some talented young ladies out there,” said Shock of the growth of flag football, not just on Poly’s campus but elsewhere. “There’s a lot of talent starting to come out, and we’re blessed to have coaches that are supportive in allowing kids to be dual-sport athletes or triple-sport athletes, letting them come out and have fun.”
Some exciting newcomers include St. Anthony transfers Kween Tauala and Alayna Veavealagi, who both played softball for the Saints. Shock is also excited about the potential of freshman Bailey Holder, who was able to come in and make varsity right away.
Now in the program’s third year, the Jackrabbits have more experience, plenty of depth, and a Moore League championship to defend. They hope to be playing for a CIF title at the end of the season, but they know they’ve got to take it one game at a time with a target on their backs.
“Our knowledge of the game is higher than other people we play, purely because we’ve played longer and we have a lot more games under our belt,” McLyn said. “But I wouldn’t say that counts anybody out of the competition. They’re all coming for us, and we’re ready for it.”
