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.
A steady rise by the Millikan flag football program culminated in a share of the Moore League championship last season, but the Rams have no plans to stop there.
According to head coach Romeo Pellum, the standard has been raised for the Rams, who knocked off Long Beach Poly for the first time last season and shared the league crown with the Jackrabbits. The Rams then went on to win a CIF-SS Division 3 playoff game for the second year in a row.
Despite losing a strong senior core, Millikan once again has high hopes for this season, and plenty of returning talent to place them among the city’s best teams.
“The accountability piece is there now, right? And they’re holding each other accountable,” said Pellum of his squad. “It’s growing, and it’s happening daily. By the time we get to league, I feel like we’re gonna be really, really there … We’re heading in the right direction for sure.”
Pellum likes this team’s ability to bounce back when things don’t go their way, as they’ve shown early on in the season. After allowing 30 points in the second half during their loss at Downey, the Rams fell behind in their next game against Fullerton, 14-0. But the Rams got together as a group, made the adjustments, and ended up winning 33-14.
A big part of that leadership group is senior quarterback Holly Ibarra, who has been central to the Rams’ offense, and should be even better this fall.
“It’s just unbelievable when you watch her this year compared to last year. She made a tremendous jump, and she’s special,” said Pellum of Ibarra. “The balls that she’s throwing and understanding concepts and how to manipulate players, it’s a good thing.”
With a young roster, it’s valuable having a senior and returning starter in the most important position on the field, and Ibarra knows she’ll need to show the young Rams the ropes in order to be successful this season and beyond.
“We have a young team coming up right now, so there’s more responsibility on my part for sure, since I am the only senior and quarterback,” Ibarra said. “I’m just trying to train these girls to have the champion mindset … We have a good group of returners, just trying to build on that, but our future’s bright.”
A big part of that future is sophomore Charlie Enriquez, who was a big playmaker on both sides of the ball as a 9th grader. She’s not only a ball hawk on defense, but has emerged as Ibarra’s new favorite target.
“That’s my girl right there,” said Ibarra of Enriquez. “I can count on her no matter what.”
Penelope Cleven is another sophomore with plenty of playing experience. She started in the secondary and used her height to collect a number of interceptions for the Rams.
Joining Enriquez as a slot receiver is junior Sophia Romo, who’s a three-year starter for the Rams. So is Alyssa Carillo, who Pellum describes as a “monster” at running back. Thai Martin is another junior who’s played a lot and adds experience to the Rams’ defense at corner.
Junior Cassandra Mitchell and Chrystella Khan are both returning starters on the defense, and Charlize Duckett will contribute as well after playing on the freshman team last season.
Kailey Heredia is another addition to the defense who’s done well at linebacker, and twins Gabriella and Charlotte Torres are ready to contribute to the varsity squad as well.
The Rams have plenty of challenging games on the non-league schedule, including matchups against local teams like Los Alamitos (Aug. 19), Valley Christian (Sep. 1), and Torrance (Sep. 8).
Millikan will open Moore League play by hosting Wilson on Sep. 9, and host the much-anticipated clash with Long Beach Poly a week later on Sep. 16.
