The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly Athletics for the 2026-27 school year is sponsored by Former Jackrabbits Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
When attempting to dethrone the champs, it’s never meant to be easy. And while Long Beach Poly showed some vulnerability last season, they still overcame adversity and retained their spot at the top.
Even as the Jackrabbits’ unbeaten run against the Moore League came to an end in 2025, their league title run remained intact. After splitting the season series with rivals Millikan, the Jackrabbits and Rams ended up as co-champions of the Moore League, giving Poly a third straight flag football crown in the rapidly-growing sport.
Injuries plagued Poly all season long, and derailed a promising playoff run in the CIF-SS Division 3 bracket when Moore League Player of the Year Ki’ele Ho-Ching was injured during the postseason.
It speaks to the depth of the program that in a year when a lot went wrong, so many things still went right for the Jackrabbits. With better fortunes this fall, the green & gold could very well be the city’s last team standing once again.
“We’ve got a heavy senior class, and we’re just making sure everyone’s healthy and together,” said head coach Rob Shock. “I think the biggest thing for us is chemistry. We’ve got some talented young ladies who’ve been playing for a while, so we’re making sure we can have a cohesive group sprinkled in with some underclassmen who’ve really excelled and improved throughout the year.”
A key returner for the Jackrabbits is Brooklyn Richardson, who is arguably the most explosive playmaker out there every time she takes the field. The senior filled in capably as a dual-threat quarterback last year, but will return to her more natural position of wide receiver. The ability to move her around the field will offer Shock and the offense more flexibility to make big plays whether Richardson is running the ball or catching passes.
“Honestly, I feel more comfortable at wide receiver. I’m willing to do whatever it takes for my team, so if I have to sacrifice and play quarterback like last season, I’m willing to do it,” Richardson explained. “But I know that I can make plays at wide receiver, and that nobody can really mess with me. I hate to put that, but nobody can mess with me at wide receiver.”
She’s able to play wideout thanks to the return of senior Kenzie Paimany at quarterback, who has plenty of experience as a freshman and sophomore on varsity before missing last season. Her return to the lineup gives the Jackrabbits a more natural thrower at the position and a veteran presence as well.
“She had a great sophomore year, so getting her back on the field will be a great thing,” said Shock of Paimany’s return as QB.
“I think this is gonna be a better season,” Richardson said. “Last season didn’t go terribly at all. It actually went very well for us with all the changes and stuff. But now that we have everybody, we’ve practiced a lot and the chemistry is way better. And our quarterback is back, so there’s no stopping us now.”
The senior class is loaded this year, with key returners like Maia Stefan, I’Kaika Afemata, Makayla Lumpkin, Kali Soth, and Daisy Matau, who’s been a four-year varsity player who leads with her work ethic.
Shock says that senior Monica Goggins is probably the most improved player on the team from last season. After coming over from the cheer squad, she’s looking more comfortable on the field and should be a valuable contributor this fall. Senior Sunni Vaafuti is a versatile player who can play center, linebacker, receiver, or safety. She’s been playing club softball this summer but will be a key starter as she gets back into the football flow.
Beyond the senior class, junior Sophia Hernandez will be a key returner who plays a lot. Plus the Jackrabbits bring back a pair of sophomores in Amai’a Johnson and Nevaeh Johnson, who both played on varsity as freshmen.
Poly will also get a boost from Los Alamitos transfer Julie Lopez, who was the leading receiver for the Griffins last season as a junior.
Ultimately, Shock believes the key to the season will be finding the right mix of players, keeping them healthy, and then allowing them time to come together as a cohesive unit.
“I’m happy with the girls and their drive. They’re really wanting to work together and play at the highest level,” said Shock. “They feel that they have something to prove this year as a senior group, and they want to go out with success.”
The Jackrabbits open Moore League play on Sep. 9 at Jordan, and have their first big showdown against Millikan on the road on Sep. 16.
