Poly beats Wilson to stay unbeaten in Moore League
LONG BEACH » When the Long Beach Poly and Wilson girls flag football teams first met two weeks ago, the shorthanded Jackrabbits squeaked out a win in a defensive battle that featured just one touchdown between the two programs.
With a roster at full strength in the rematch Tuesday, Poly junior quarterback Aaya McLyn quickly showed how much of a difference her presence would make, and by the end of the contest the Jackrabbits owned a year's worth of bragging rights over the rival Bruins in the sport's debut season in the CIF Southern Section.
McLyn threw for four touchdowns and ran for another to lead Poly to a 32-8 win over visiting Wilson and sweep the inaugural head-to-head series in Moore League play.
The Jackrabbits (8-1, 6-0), who shut out the Bruins 6-0 two weeks ago, scored on their first four drives en route to remaining unbeaten atop the league with a meeting looming against second-place Jordan on Oct. 24.
“All these girls are athletes, they play other sports.
They understand what's expected of them,” Jackrabbits coach Rob Shock said. “They've adapted to this game. They love it. We're very fluent in practice, we have a system and they pick it up real simply.
“They're making history and we're making history together.”
McLyn, who completed 15 of 23 passes for 209 yards with an interception, had a consistent go-to target in the backfield in fellow junior Sydney Santos.
The pair had a connection from the outset, with Santos finishing with five catches for 92 yards and the game's opening touchdown.
“Once I see the open space, I'm just bursting through and I'm always looking forward,” Santos said.
Santos' speed and shifty moves up the field were key in a 21-yard catch-and-run to give Poly the early 6-0 lead.
“Ayaa McLyn is just a solid quarterback,” Shock said. “Her leadership makes a big difference for us. She can move in the pocket, she can avoid the rush, she's patient and she makes good decisions.
“Then, Sydney Santos, her speed and acceleration, obviously that makes it tough for (opponents) to pull flags. Our big thing was taking what the defense gave us.”
McLyn credited part of the chemistry with Santos to their time together growing up and playing soccer.
“Because she's low to the ground, it's hard to grab the flags, and agility-wise she can cut and she can catch,” McLyn said of her teammate.
If anything, Santos added, the biggest adjustment to the sport was using their hands as opposed to their feet.
“Once you got the catching down, it was easier than running with a ball at your feet,” Santos said.
McLyn also was effective in spreading the ball around to six different receivers, including touchdown passes to Andra Greer, Zadie Kuykendall and Tiare Ho-Ching.
On the ground, McLyn added an 18-yard touchdown run to push the advantage to 13-0.
“They just have a lot of talent,” Wilson coach Duane Haldeman said. “A lot of experienced, older players.
They've got a tradition of athletes.”
The Bruins (6-12-1, 2-4) trailed 26-0 at the half, but freshman receiver/defensive back Coco Gonzalez was a bright spot late in the second half.
With 7:48 left, Gonzalez's 18-yard touchdown catch and successful extra point attempt from quarterback Jayme Zamora got Wilson on the board.
On the ensuing drive, Gonzalez then picked off McLyn's first pass.
“She's just a fantastic athlete and a great person, as well,” Haldeman said. “She's been a leader since she joined the squad. I can't say enough about her progression and her talent and her leadership.”
Haldeman added that the back-to-back drives were important for a program that's trying to instill confidence in the players to “stick with the program.”
Poly, meanwhile, has its sights set on finishing the last four contests strong in hopes of completing an unbeaten run through the league.
“That would be great,” McLyn said. “It would be such an accomplishment, especially since it's our first year, to go undefeated going into a new sport.”