Our All-City Athletes of the Year awkward has been running for more than a decade now, just about 10% of the 120 year history of youth sports in Long Beach. In the last dozen years we’ve honored Long Beach kids who went on to be NFL Pro Bowlers, Olympians, NCAA Freshmen of the Year, NCAA champions, and first-round NBA Draft picks. Before they became any of those things, they were young stars in their hometown with big dreams.
This year’s honorees fall easily into that tradition: trailblazers, history-makers, and culture-setters. We’re recognizing three athletes who are sure to make the city proud now and into the future.
Our girls’ honoree is Aaya McLyn, Long Beach Poly’s historic four-sport athletes and champion who brought back the city’s multi-sport athletic tradition in a major way. On the boys’ side it’s city basketball career scoring record-holder Jovani Ruff from Poly, as well as Texas-bound baseball star Anthony Pack, two new-age superstars.
Girls’ All-City Athlete of the Year: Aaya McLyn, Long Beach Poly Flag Football/Soccer/Basketball/Softball
It’s hard to make history in high school sports in Long Beach, and especially at Long Beach Poly. No high school in California has won more championships or produced more great athletes than Poly–but no Jackrabbit has done what Aaya McLyn did this year.
The era of multi-sport athletes (like All-State football/basketball players Willie McGinest and Marcedes Lewis or All-State basketball/baseball players like Tony Gwynn) has largely come to a close. But what McLyn did for Poly this year has never been duplicated, and likely never will again.
In the Fall, she was the Moore League Player of the Year in girls’ flag football, leading Poly to a Moore League title and a deep playoff run. She also received All-American honors in the new sport and represented the Los Angeles Rams as their high school Player of the Year.
Then in the winter, McLyn was the Moore League Midfielder of the Year, while leading Poly to a Moore League title and a CIF-SS championship appearance. At the same time, she was playing on Poly’s varsity basketball team, which won the Moore League title as she was named second team All-League.
In the Spring, McLyn played with the school’s softball team, and was part of Poly’s first-ever CIF-SS softball championship. She has signed a scholarship with Washington State to play NCAA soccer, becoming the third McLyn sister to sign D1 out of Poly High.
McLyn’s two Moore League POYs plus a third all-league nod, in addition to three team league titles and a CIF-SS team title, are believed to be unprecedented.
“I just love my school and I want to win and to represent Poly as much as I can,” said McLyn this season.
Boys’ All-City Athlete of the Year: Jovani Ruff, Long Beach Poly
Jovani Ruff made history this year, finishing a four-year varsity career at Long Beach Poly with 2,073 points, the most of any high school basketball player in city history.
Ruff, who has signed with Cal to play in the NCAA, led the Jackrabbits to another Moore League title this year. In addition to getting the career scoring record, he also scored 51 points in three quarters to set a new single-game scoring record for the Jackrabbits.
It’s impressive to make history at any school, but especially on the hardcourt at Poly, where the Jackrabbits have been playing since the early 1900s–winning a state-record 2,200+ games, 65 league titles, 20 CIF-SS titles, and produced a state-best nine NBA players and more than 100 NCAA Division 1 athletes.
Ruff has been known for passing to others as well as scoring, but wanted to put on a show in his last regular season game in the Ron Palmer pavilion.
“He always has 28, 29, he never does this,” said Poly coach Shelton Diggs. “He’s just a great, unselfish superstar. It’s good for him to have a night like he did tonight, he deserves this. His teammates were looking for him, they want that record for him, it’s great. His teammates, they’re all close friends, so of course they want him to make history.”
Ruff was a McDonald’s All-American game nominee and is a Poly legacy as the daughter of another Jackrabbit, Tiana Ruff.
Boys’ All-City Athlete of the Year: Anthony Pack, Millikan
Anthony Pack is a new-age superstar for a new era in youth sports.
He committed to UCLA after his freshman year at Millikan, and had a decorated career on the field for the Rams, with the rare honor of being named a two-time Moore League Player of the Year his junior and senior year. But just as successful as his career on the field has been his career off of it, where he’s taken advantage of the changing landscape in amateur sports.
Pack has an endorsement deal with Combat MFG, a baseball apparel company, and filmed sponsored content for their gear for his thousands of social media followers. He was also a breakout star at the Area Code Games, as part of the BBG All-American Game, and has earned national accolades like Rawlings’ Gold Glove award as the nation’s best high school centerfielder.
With power, speed, and smarts, it’s no surprise that Pack has been looked at as having a bright career at the next levels. He’s signed a scholarship with Texas but shined at last week’s MLB Draft Combine, raising expectations that he’ll be drafted next month. Just as bright as his talent is his winning personality, on the field and in the dugout.
“Charismatic is the word I would use to describe him,” said Millikan coach Ron Keester. “He’s just got this energy about him that people want to be around. He’s fun, he’s hardworking, he cares about himself, he cares about others, and it’s fun to have seen him kind of blossom in the last four years.”
All-City Athlete of the Year Honorees
2014: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ariana Washington
2015: Daniel McArthur, Imani McDonald
2016: Jack Jones, Ali Morallos
2017: Sam Lewis, Ayanna Clark
2018: Tyler Schafer, Ariyonna Augustine
2019: Will Frankenfeld, Rachel Glenn
2020: Peyton Watson, Tiare Jennings
2021: Hank Rivers, Jade McDonald
2022: Gray Carson, Laura Williams & Adonia Faumuina
2023: Colin Geer, Aujane Luckey
2024: Xai Ricks & Jason Parra, Sammie Hamilton
2025: Jovani Ruff & Anthony Pack, Aaya McLyn
