DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:Once behind scenes, Mesa’s Medina is in spotlight

Ayla Medina went from coy to goofy to now feared striker.

She never figured the change would kick in so soon on the soccer field.

Two matches is all it took for Costa Mesa High Coach Dan Johnston to notice the transformation.

“She’s still playful. Sometimes she’s too much fun to be around,” said Johnston before delving into what’s turned Medina into a dynamic player. “Continued hustle. She’s always been on the ball and she’s made good decisions.

“She keeps her brain turned on when she’s playing out there, unlike some of these [other players].”

Medina admits she used to be lackadaisical. She couldn’t help it as a freshman, finding herself lost behind a talented striker duo.

Now it’s her turn. Even if she didn’t expect it to be in her sophomore year with 10 seniors on the team.

She can still hear the strikers, Jasmin Day and Kyla Flores, who challenged Medina the times she subbed in for them last year late in matches.

Don’t be afraid.

Be aggressive.

Take people on.

Oh, has Medina listened. Why wouldn’t she? The Day-Flores combination accounted for 39 goals last year before leaving a program it helped go 48-0 in league matches in four years.

Big feats, but Medina’s done her part to keep Costa Mesa competitive. In a season described as Jekyll and Hyde by Johnston, Medina leads the team with 15 goals to go with nine assists.

“On an up-and-down season, you have players that are up and down, and she’s been consistently up,” Johnston said. “I really appreciate that as a coach. She seems to get herself ready every game, where some of them seem not to get themselves ready.”

The lack of overall effort hurt the Mustangs’ bid to stay unbeaten in league play. Their run ended Monday, when they lost at Laguna Beach, 2-0, dropping a match for the first time in 51 tries.

They’re in a new league now, the Orange Coast, and despite only four teams, it’s more competitive than their former seven-team Golden West League.

But things looked promising for Costa Mesa (8-7-7, 2-1-2 in league) before this week. Medina lifted Costa Mesa to two league victories. She scored twice and added an assist against rival Estancia. And, she had one goal and assist against Calvary Chapel.

Then Costa Mesa reverted back to its lackluster ways before league play, when Medina said teammates believed, “we’re going to win, we’re going to do this” without much commitment. The Mustangs started 0-4-3.

“I don’t think we were that serious, because we knew we were all good,” said Medina of a team returning Caitlyn Duffy, last year’s Golden West Defensive Player of the Year, and Sharon Frazier, last year’s leading goal scorer. “It showed last season, but since we changed into a different league, this one is a lot better. These games are pretty even.”

The same could describe Medina’s chance of cracking this year’s starting lineup.

Out of a four-striker rotation, Medina entered as the only sophomore. Just two matches and the 15-year coach already knew what he had in Medina — someone he could count on.

Medina didn’t know it. Her good friend and teammate, sophomore midfielder Kyra Graham, did. Even though the two said they giggled their way through varsity last year, fooling around whenever the opportunity presented itself, Graham admired Medina.

“She’s really determined,” Graham said. “I’m proud of her.”

Graham’s also pleased with how they still can get away with being silly without being sneaky. It helps that they’re starters and contributors now.

“They all laugh at us. We do stupid stuff, but it helps us become more of a team and eases off the pressure,” said Medina, referring to her and Graham faking high-fives after Medina scores. “It’s kind of weird. I didn’t think I was going to do as good as I’ve been doing so far. I thought I’d be passing more than scoring. I’ve gotten used to it. I’m a forward now.”

Not a demure or comical one on the field, but a dangerous one.

AYLA MEDINA

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Born: Aug. 15, 1991

Height: 5-foot-4

Weight: 124 pounds

Sport: Soccer

Position: Striker

Coach: Dan Johnston

Favorite food: Lasagna

Favorite movie: Harry Potter collection

Favorite athletic moment: Helping Costa Mesa come back from a two-goal deficit to beat Corona del Mar by scoring the first goal and assisting on another en route to a 4-2 victory last year.

Week in review: Scored three goals and added two assists, as Costa Mesa picked up Orange Coast League victories against Calvary Chapel and Estancia.