Ramona junior linebacker — and the entire flag football team — having a banner second season

It was an easy question, but the answer was not so simple. 

What do you like better, playing flag football or soccer? 

It took Ramona High’s Kynzie King a long time to ponder the answer. Back and forth, one way and then the other.

Finally, the junior sighed and said, “I like them both equally. But if I had to, I’d say soccer because I’ve played it since I was a 3-year-old.”

Longevity wins.

The decision was difficult because 17-year-old King is having a banner flag football season even though it’s only her — and the school’s —second season.

Ramona assistant flag coach Robyn Bash was easily able to give her opinion.

“She’s a natural athlete,” Bash said. “She’s fast, quick on her feet, very agile plus and she’s a natural leader.

“But I know she’s a good soccer player, too.”

Indeed, and much like soccer, she rarely leaves the field playing flag football.

Consider these statistics:

— King leads the team with 94 receptions for 890 yards and three touchdowns. Her longest TD grab went for 58 yards.

— She’s No. 2 on the team with 8 touchdowns.

— King is fourth on the team rushing with 157 yards on 36 carries.

— On defense, the left-side linebacker has 110 tackles, second on the team to the other linebacker, Natali Lopez, who is No. 6 in the county with 126’s flags grabbed. Kynzie is No. 15.

— King has nine interceptions, five of which have been returned for touchdowns.

— And for good measure, she has six punt returns for 109 yards.

King and all but four graduated players off last year’s team that did not make the playoffs (finishing third in the Valley League in their first year) vowed to turn that around and have already achieved two of their goals by going undefeated to win the Valley League (6-0) and qualify for the post-season.

It took a harrowing 6-0 victory over Escondido, the second time they beat the Cougars by that score, to accomplish the feat.

The Bulldogs were seeded  No. 5 seed in Division 2 and played Tuesday night at home against San Dieguito (12-9). Win there and Ramona travels to No. 4 Brawley for a 1 p.m. game Saturday.

How about this statistic: The Ramona defense did not allow a single touchdown in league play.

“We had to prove ourselves to the other teams that we belonged,” King said. “Everybody came out during the five-week preseason practices and you could feel the difference.

“We were so disappointed that we didn’t make the playoffs last year.

“We worked closely with Holly (quarterback Holly Hoffman). She threw me like 50 passes a practice so rather than learning like we did last year, now we react instinctively, we’re in synch. She’s a good quarterback and it was a big difference.”

King says she’s gotten better and better grabbing the flag on defense and the team makes it easier by surrounding the ball-carrier. 

Ask her what plays that she enjoys most and surprisingly it’s not a long TD reception.

“Stopping the other team from scoring four downs inside the 20-yard line,” she said without hesitation.

Actually, it makes sense — King plays left-side forward on offense and center middle-back on defense in soccer, for both Ramona and her club team, Legends FC out of Del Mar.

“I’ll play wherever I’m needed most,” said King, the ultimate team player. “I prefer forward but I like defense, too. Getting a scholarship for college would be a dream come true. More and more colleges are adding flag football, so maybe I’ll have to make a choice.”

She’s also a sprinter on the track team, running the 100- and 200-meter dashes, the 4×100 relay and the 4×400 relay, when needed. She says each sport helps prepare her for the others in their own way.

Carrying a weighted 4.4 GPA, King is in her second year of working on the school yearbook in addition to taking advanced placement classes.

The focus now, though, is clearly helping the young Bulldogs go as far as they can in the flag football playoffs.