Freshmen on varsity who have impacted their teams this school year

Anjelica Moore

March 6, 2026

Jairo Fernandez (9) takes a penalty kick against Piedmont on Jan. 9

In the US, there are less than 3% of freshmen who play on high school varsity teams. Encinal sports reflect this as they hold a variety of students from each grade, especially considering how only a few students are handpicked to play on varsity.

Each of the students being covered here play huge roles for their team both on and off of the field and/or court. All freshmen on varsity are equally deserving of their spot, but these four freshmen have primarily made a big impact on their sports.

Leiloa Lyons

Leiloa Lyons plays on the women’s varsity flag football and basketball team.

For flag, she was the main quarterback and received an NCS honorable mention. For basketball she has received Co-Player of the year and First Team All League for NCS. She was a stat leader in the basketball team and played center power forward and small forward.

“For both sports, it was kinda hard [being on varsity] since I hadn’t been playing for that long, but after the first couple of games it got a lot easier,” said Lyons.

The accomplishment she is most proud of is her honorable mention, and her current stats on basketball. She is now participating in track and field.

Jairo Fernandez

Jairo Fernandez is a fullback and midfielder on the Encinal varsity soccer team. He has been playing since he was 3 years old.

In talking about his experience this year, he said, “They treat me like I’m the younger brother, they welcome me and they take care of me.”

Fernandez scored his first varsity goal against San Lorenzo on Jan. 16. He wants to pursue a professional career playing soccer.

Maika Buyanjargal

Maika Buyanjargal, women’s varsity volleyball setter and opposite hitter, was the only freshman on varsity during the regular season.

“It was really hard [coming onto varsity] because I was really nervous seeing all those people in the bleachers at the game but I slowly adapted,” said Bunyanjargal.

One accomplishment she is most proud of is growing friendships with upperclassmen. As a player for Red Rock Volleyball, she continues advancing her skills.

Dashel Footman

Varsity football linebacker and running back Dashel Footman, has been playing football for three years. He built many relationships with the upperclassmen this season.

“They treat me cool, they kick my butt, [but] it’s character building.” With the connection built from his team, he felt that varsity was not as nerve wrecking as expected. “You know since I didn’t play JV there was nothing to compare it to,” said Footman.

One accomplishment he is most proud of is his game winning strip sack and touch down all in his first year. He competed in the Island Bowl this year and started in many games.

All the Encinal players deserve recognition for their effort on sports teams. While this article only highlights a few, every student athlete is greatly appreciated in the Encinal sports community .

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About the Contributors

Anjelica Moore, Echo Staff

Anjelica Moore is a first year Echo staff member. She is class of 2028 and joined journalism because she wanted to learn more about journalism whilst progressing in her writing skills. Some things she enjoys are fashion, psychology and sports.

Noah Balingit, Echo Staff

Noah Balingit is a first year Echo staff member. He is class of 2027 and joined journalism because he wanted to improve his writing skills to gain some confidence in it and to try something new. He enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, and playing video games. He was a part of the chess club and key club. He plays sports for Encinal such as running cross country in the fall and tennis in the spring.

Dylan Berger, Photography Editor

Dylan Berger is a second year Encinal Echo staff member. After going through middle school watching the Encinal publication staff, he wanted to join Echo. He takes pride as a photographer, but also enjoys writing and interviewing. Outside of school, he is on the Encinal Waterpolo team, and the Encinal Swim team. He also enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Helena Beneam, Echo Staff

Helena Beneam is a first year Echo Staff member. She is class of 2026 and joined journalism to heighten her skills in investigating and reporting. Helena enjoys listening to music, watching TV shows/movies, and hanging out with her friends. She’s part of the Model UN, Art and Photo, Red Cross, and BSU clubs.