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Syracuse, N.Y. — The 2026 All-Central New York flag football team features athletes chosen by syracuse.com reporters.
Ta’Kai Baker of Syracuse East has been selected as flag football player of the year. The other finalists were Alexis DeGroat of Oneida, Freedom Umstead of Fayetteville-Manlius and Ayzlei Winans of East Syracuse Minoa.
>> Ever wonder how syracuse.com selects its All-CNY all-star teams? Here’s how we do it
Here’s a full rundown of the all-stars:
Ta’Kai Baker
School: Syracuse East
Class: senior
Position: QB/DB
What is next for you? Attending school and playing Division I flag football.
Who has inspired you the most in your sport? Petties because he always pushed me to be better.
What is your favorite memory from this season? Legacy scoring the game-winning touchdown on a punt return.
What is your biggest goal for your life? To be more positive because positivity can go a long way.
If you could spend the day with any character from movies, television, books or history, who would you pick? Spider-Man because he is brave, responsible and always tries to help others, even when life is difficult.
If you could be a contestant on any game show, which one would you pick? “Family Feud” because it looks fun and I’d get to compete with family and friends.
Alexis DeGroat
School: Oneida
Class: senior
Position: QB
What is next for you? Attending Roberts Wesleyan University to play Division II flag football.
Who has inspired you the most in your sport? Coach Rose. He always saw my potential and pushed me to reach my goals. He also supported us off the field and became like a second father.
What is your favorite memory from this season? The talks before and after games. Whether our coaches were motivating us, humbling us or supporting us, those moments are something I’ll never take for granted.
What is your biggest goal for your life? To achieve the goals I set for myself and continue challenging myself to be the best I can be while helping my teammates succeed.
If you could spend the day with any character from movies, television, books or history, who would you pick? Iron Man because he could build me a cool suit, we’d get to fly around and fight villains.
If you could be a contestant on any game show, which one would you pick? “Wheel of Fortune” because I’d hopefully win some money.
Kaylee French
School: Oneida
Class: junior
Position: WR
Mara Gloo
School: Fayetteville-Manlius
Class: senior
Position: LB
What is next for you? Playing soccer and studying biomaterials engineering at Alfred University.
Who has inspired you the most in your sport? My teammates and especially my coaches, Coach Keeney and Coach Aldrich. They introduced us to a new sport, supported us and encouraged me to develop a passion for a game I barely knew in March.
What is your favorite memory from this season? My first pick-six against Central Square, which helped spark a comeback after we trailed at halftime. I remember everyone being so excited.
What is your biggest goal for your life? To be a positive person and always help lift others up.
If you could spend the day with any character from movies, television, books or history, who would you pick? Barney Stinson from “How I Met Your Mother” because he’s always ready for an adventure.
If you could be a contestant on any game show, which one would you pick? “Wipeout” because it looks like so much fun.
Abbigail Green
School: Sherburne-Earlville
Class: eighth grade
Position: WR/RB
What is next for you? Basketball and soccer training.
Who has inspired you the most in your sport? My best friend, Cora. She has continued to support and believe in me no matter the outcome.
What is your favorite memory from this season? Team dinners.
What is your biggest goal for your life? To attend a Division I or Division II school for flag football or basketball and empower younger women in sports.
If you could spend the day with any character from movies, television, books or history, who would you pick? Blu from “Rio” because he’s brave, and it’s my favorite childhood movie.
If you could be a contestant on any game show, which one would you pick? “The Price Is Right” because I want to win prizes and go shopping.
Legacy Huggins
School: Syracuse East
Class: junior
Position: RB
What is next for you? College
Who has inspired you the most in your sport? My family.
What is your favorite memory from this season? Team meals before games.
What is your biggest goal for your life? To be successful
Emily Michaels
School: Central Square
Class: junior
Position: WR/DB/LB
What is next for you? I plan on finishing my final year of high school strong and focused on my sport, then attending college for flag football and graphic design or pursuing a trade school program.
Who has inspired you the most in your sport? My coaches, teammates and family because they have pushed me every day over the last two seasons to become a better player.
What is your favorite memory from this season? Surpassing the statistics of our top receiver from last season and reaching my goal of becoming a major part of my team’s success.
What is your biggest goal for your life? To keep moving forward, never take life for granted and enjoy every moment because you never know what opportunities life may bring.
If you could spend the day with any character from movies, television, books or history, who would you pick? Moana because people often tell me I resemble her, and I admire the way she takes risks, leads others and never gives up when faced with challenges.
If you could be a contestant on any game show, which one would you pick? “American Ninja Warrior” because it combines athleticism, determination and mental toughness, and I love competition.
Georgelyz Pizarro
School: Syracuse East
Class: junior
Position: DL/LB
What is next for you? Attending college to study early education and continuing to play flag football.
Who has inspired you the most in your sport? A lot of people have inspired me over the past three years, but if I had to choose one person it would be my father. He has never missed one of my games, home or away. He’s always giving me advice on how to improve and has become my role model.
What is your favorite memory from this season? Winning the championship, along with all the time we spent together as a team, including team dinners and traveling to games.
What is your biggest goal for your life? To play Division I flag football and graduate from high school with good grades.
If you could be a contestant on any game show, which one would you pick? “Family Feud” because I love the questions and Steve Harvey’s reactions. I know I’d have a great time with my family and friends.
Graceanne Sleeth
School: Liverpool
Class: senior
Position: QB
Freedom Umstead
School: Fayetteville-Manlius
Class: Junior
Position: QB
Ayzlei Winans
School: East Syracuse Minoa
Class: freshman
Position: RB
What is next for you? I’ll be playing in our summer soccer league and preparing for my fourth season of varsity soccer at ESM.
Who has inspired you the most in your sport? Coach Keysor and my best friend, Gianna. Coach Keysor has taught me to push myself and never give up when things get difficult. Gianna is always there for me and keeps me motivated, even when I’m stressed or not performing my best.
What is your favorite memory from this season? There were a lot of great memories, including trips to Trappers and spending time together as a team. My favorite memory was our joint practice with Westmoreland, where we played with water balloons and then went to Chick-fil-A afterward.
What is your biggest goal for your life? To become an ultrasound technician.
If you could spend the day with any character from movies, television, books or history, who would you pick? Victor Wembanyama because he’s one of the most talented young players in the NBA. I would love to hear about his experiences, how he handles pressure and what motivates him to keep improving.
If you could be a contestant on any game show, which one would you pick? “The Price Is Right” because it looks like a lot of fun.
Coach of the year
Ryan Aldrich
School: Fayetteville-Manlius
Years coaching: Second year coaching flag football, ninth year coaching football overall
Who inspires you to coach in your sport? The players. Their growth, work ethic and commitment from tryouts through championship runs inspire me every day.
What is your favorite sports memory from this season? After we won sectionals, the team bleached Coach Keeney’s hair and mine.
If you could spend the day with any character from movies, television, books or history, who would you pick? Lloyd Christmas from “Dumb and Dumber.” He’s hilarious, optimistic and reminds me not to take everything so seriously.
If you could be a contestant on any game show, which one would you pick? “Family Feud.” I’ve always loved the show, and I think I’d do pretty well.
Second team
Elyse Cook, Cicero-North Syracuse
Shanyrah Burton, Cicero-North Syracuse
Hailey Dupra, Cicero-North Syracuse
Emma Dobrovech, Fayetteville-Manlius
Emma Peebles, Oneida
Emma Webb, Sherburne-Earlville
Deyshanelis Cruz, Syracuse East
Narieonna Lucas, Syracuse West
Jackie Downs, Westmoreland
Jordan DeLong, Westmoreland
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