The562’s football coverage for the 2026-27 school year is sponsored by Long Beach Poly alums Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
Millikan coach Romeo Pellum pledged that this season would be a loud bounceback for the Rams after a frustrating 2025 that was filled with setbacks. The Rams have a chance to start on the right foot tonight at home at DeHaven Stadium as they welcome in Huntington Beach at 7pm.
“It definitely lit a fire in me to where that’ll never happen again,” said Pellum of 2025. “That’s on me, but it’ll never happen. I have a chip on my shoulder now. The kids don’t want that, the coaches don’t want that, and I promise you that’ll never happen again.”
Pellum didn’t respond to that season by scheduling cupcakes–tonight they welcome an Oilers team that HSRatings.com (whose ratings are used to make the CIF-SS playoff brackets) gives a 92% chance of winning. Leading the way for the Oilers is QB Brady Edmunds, an Ohio State commit who’s one of the top passers in the nation–since Millikan has a long tradition of co-branding with Michigan, it will give tonight’s game a big-time college rivalry feel. The Rams also played against Michigan’s top QB target last year with Newbury Park’s Brady Smigiel.
Millikan has a star QB themselves in sophomore Jonah Tuaniga, who competed this summer with the USA Volleyball youth team and who is one of the top volleyballers in the nation. Tuaniga is entering this season as the team’s unquestioned starter, after an uneven freshman campaign that saw him unexpectedly thrust into a full-time starter role after the ineligibility of the team’s transfer senior.
The Rams players and coaches have been brimming with praise for Tuaniga’s development as a player and as a leader.
Senior receiver Jay Williams, a Kansas commit, had this to say:
“I think he’s improved so much from last year. At practice, we’ll tell each other stuff we see on the field going against the defense, and we kind of build chemistry like that … I’m always with him, catching passes for him even when it’s defensive time, so we get a lot of time together to build chemistry.”
The Rams offense has plenty of weapons around Tuaniga including Williams and running back Ryan Carter, a talented junior with speed and strength.
The bigger question will probably be how can their defense contain a potent attack led by Edmunds and former Poly receivers Dylin Bruce (Arizona State commit) and Skylar Robinson (offers from North Carolina and others).
One thing to keep an eye on for the Rams is the CIF-SS transfer approval page, where as of print time receiver St. Paul transfer Auden Taufa was the only player currently approved to play. Two anticipated starting linemen were listed as processing and incomplete.
We’ll have live updates from the game and full coverage after.
