The562’s coverage of Cabrillo Athletics is sponsored by the Cohn Family.
After bringing a one-win Cabrillo girls’ flag football team above the .500 mark in his first year as head coach, Earl McCullouch Jr. has reloaded his roster and is ready to build on that success in his second year.
“We have a young team that’s ready to learn, and they’re growing day by day,” he said.
McCullouch Jr. has just two seniors on his roster, and says it’s been some of the younger girls who have stepped up to lead the team including junior Kamora Byther. A tri-sport athlete, Byther says she’s applied her track and soccer fundamentals to the gridiron, where she’ll be a key utility player on offense and a safety on defense.
“For flag football, speed has been a key factor,” she said. “You can have the hip movements but you need the speed to get the touchdowns. So the speed from track and also my footwork from soccer combines and makes things easier for me with flag football.”
Byther is one of many multi-sport athletes on the team, a trend that’s become common as flag football continues to grow as an option for high school girls. With more than a dozen NAIA programs now offering the sport and its upcoming debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Byther says it’s becoming an even bigger priority among her three sports.
“I’ve definitely been taking it more seriously now that there’s more opportunities opening up for flag football,” Byther said. “[Flag football] is moving to the top of the podium [of the sports I play] and I most definitely want to pursue a career in flag football if I can.”
Another leader and captain as just a sophomore is Yarezmin Castro, who will be the team’s quarterback and safety. McCullouch Jr. praised Castro’s leadership and athletic ability in her first year playing the sport, and says she brings a key dual-threat aspect as both a runner and passer at quarterback.
Jade Kingsley is another sophomore captain and a returner at receiver. Kingsley will also be a rusher on defense, a spot where McCullouch Jr. expects her to make a big impact. LaRiyah Harris will be a key senior for the Jags at center after playing behind an All-League center last season and should step into a bigger role.
Cabrillo finished 5-7 through Moore League play last season and made an appearance in the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs during the inaugural flag football playoffs. McCullouch Jr. has focused on conditioning to help his team finish strong in the fourth quarter of close games and says the team’s health will also play a big role in how far they go this season.
“We’re not that deep, so an injury bug will hurt us a lot,” he said. “We just gotta stay healthy. That’s the key with us. At Cabrillo, our numbers aren’t high, so we have to deal with all dual-sport athletes. They come from every sport here, so we have to be lucky and make sure these girls stay healthy.”
