The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
New season, new players, same goals.
The Lakewood Lancers have been one of the strongest teams in the Moore League for the past few years. After graduating a handful of critical players in the class of 2025, some new faces will step onto the court for Lakewood this year.
“We still have the same goals,” Head Coach Eric Oswell said. “We – I believe and they believe – we’re good enough to win Moore League.”
One of the biggest holes for the Lancers will be the one left by Nyemah King. Being named the Moore League Player of the Year and the City of Lakewood’s Athlete of the Year in 2024, King scored 2,640 points throughout her high school career, breaking the record for the city’s all-time leading scorer.
Not only do graduated seniors pose a challenge for the Lancers, but Long Beach Poly does as well. After the Jackrabbits handed Lakewood their only two league losses last year, Oswell knows they will be another tough opponent this year.
Isabella Ramsey is the only returning starter for the Lancers and knows what it takes to win. As a junior, Ramsey will step into a bigger leadership role and use her experience as a stepping stone.
“She impacts the game all over the place,” Oswell said. “She’s a shooter, and she’s very key for us on defense. She’s one of my defensive stoppers.”
One of the other upperclassmen that will be stepping up with Ramsey is Kasey-Rian Henson. The senior center will use her height to her advantage during her first year on varsity.
“She’s going to help us a lot with her, her length, her size and her ability to rebound,” Oswell said.
There are some underclassmen who will be stepping into bigger roles this year, as well. Sophomore Laylah Patterson will play forward and guard for Lakewood in her second year representing the Lancers on varsity.
“She learned a lot from all the seniors that she was playing with, so I think she’s ready to step up and have a big year for us this year,” Oswell said.
Oswell also has two freshmen on his varsity roster in Leilah Sieng and Aniyah Lindsey. Sieng will look to fill in the shoes of Amy Rubio, another important Lancer who graduated in the spring.
“She’s got big shoes to fill, but she’s very talented,” Oswell said of Sieng. “I can already see, even as a ninth grader, that she’s going to be able to fill them and maybe even be better in the long run.”
Lindsey also has huge shoes to fill, as she will step into the role that King previously occupied. Oswell said Lindsey is naturally a shooting or point guard, but as a taller player, she can be big if she needs to be.
“Aniyah is very talented, very athletic,” Oswell said. “She’s got a good shot, she can drive, she can kick, she creates for her teammates and she’s got a lot of heart. As much effort as she puts into scoring on the offensive end and getting her teammates involved, she puts that much effort or more on the defensive end, disrupting the other team’s guards.”
With big gaps left in the roster and other players stepping up, Oswell said one of the most important things for his team to focus on this year is chemistry.
While his Lancers bring athleticism to the court after spending their summers in other sports like flag football and volleyball, the speed at which his team can come together and play as one is going to be critical.
The ability of his team to gel together will set the tone for the season, Oswell said. While he focuses on rebuilding with young players that are filled with years of potential, he knows that they have to focus on the 2025-26 season before they look too far ahead.
“I believe a whole lot of teams have a chance to compete and have great games this year in the Moore League,” Oswell said.
The Lancers will officially start their season next week with tournament play before Moore League action gets underway next month. Their first league opponent will be the Jordan Panthers, who they will face Dec. 12.
