Plata, Navarro named Downey Athletes of the Year
Delilah Navarro (Softball, Girls Flag Football) and Jayden Plata (Wrestling) were selected as Downey High School’s 2026 Athletes of the Year. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
DOWNEY – The Downey High School Male and Female Athletes of the Year have been announced with Jayden Plata and Delilah Navarro taking home the awards.
Both athletes had stellar careers for the Vikings and were honored at the Senior Baccalaureate.
Plata was a three year varsity wrestler and capped off his career with a CIF Individual Championship. He will be attending Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa this Fall.
Navarro, a two sport star, excelled in Flag Football and Softball. She will be attending the University of Toledo to continue her softball career.
“Congratulations to our Male and Female Athletes of the Year,” Downey athletic director Mark Rand said. “These two outstanding student-athletes represent the very best of Downey High School — not only through their dedication, talent, and accomplishments in competition, but also through their leadership, character, and commitment to their teammates.
“They have set a standard of excellence that inspires our entire athletic program. We are incredibly proud of what they have achieved and the positive impact they have made on our school community.”
Delilah Navarro
Navarro, who was a four-year varsity softball starter, also was a member of the inaugural flag football program at the school in her junior year.
She talked of her excitement in winning the coveted award.
“I’m blessed to be named Downey High School’s 2026 athlete of the year,” said Navarro, who was First Team All CIF in Flag and All League twice in Softball. “I want to thank God for allowing me to be athletic and play the sports I love at the highest levels.
“At the Baccalaureate when I heard all the awards being announced for both flag and then softball, I was like OMG, that’s me. It’s an honor to be recognized as athlete of the year, especially at a school that has so many good athletes.”
Flag Football stats
“Coach Lozano knew what he was doing from the start,” said Navarro, of her coach. “The coaches were great and I had a fun time out there.”
Navarro’s accomplishments in Flag include, First Team All-League both years, team MVP in 2025, team Defensive MVP in 2026 and also being inducted into the Downey Flag Football Hall of Fame this year.
She was also team captain in 2025 and honorary team captain this past season. In addition, Navarro is the All Time leader in yards (3,105) and receptions (206).
In the first season in flag (2024), she led in all three categories – 68 receptions, 1,084 yards and eight TDs, while this past season in 25 games, she led the team with 138 receptions, scored 12 touchdowns and was second behind leader Chloe Cotton in yards (2,126) with 2,021 yards.
“I got the ball, Chloe got the ball and our other teammates got the ball and every time we got the ball we knew we were either going to get a touchdown or gain a lot of yards,” she added.
Downey had a great second season (23-5), as they advanced to the CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinals after two blowout wins in the first and second rounds. The Vikings lost in five OTs to Westlake. In the game, Navarro led with 15 receptions, 153 yards and a touchdown.
Highlighting the season was a 17-game winning streak late in the season with only three regular season games left before the playoffs. They scored 529 points, gave up 49, averaged 31 points per game with 10 shutouts and allowed only 2.8 points per game.
Flag football coach Chuck Lozano said of Navarro – “I knew Lala was special within the first 10 minutes of her working out,” Lozano said. “She just moved with a quiet confidence that you can't teach. The biggest thing that I love about Lala is her competitive spirit. She plays every single play like it is the super bowl. She is the type of competitor that doesn't need a reason or trophy to compete.
“She just wants to get out there and be the best. She won't tell you that, but her work ethic and mindset show it. Roll a ball out in the middle of the field and she will be one of the first to go grab it and say hey let's play.
“I will always be thankful for what she did for our program. She set the standard for wide receiver/safety play here at Downey. She is a legend and will forever be remembered in our Flag Football family here at Downey High School. She is the ultimate competitor. We will miss her.”
Softball standout
“Softball was my home and that’s where I belong,” she said. “I have been playing since I was like three and I grew up with that.
“I just go out there and play, honestly.”
Some of her softball highlights were: a four-year varsity starter, scholar student-athlete in her freshman, sophomore and junior years and All-League in her freshman (Team MVP), sophomore and junior years,
In her junior year, Navarro had a .325 average, 6 HRs (Led team), scored 28 runs (2nd on team) and had 27 hits and 27 RBIs (led the team).
Her senior year she improved to a .409 avg., had 6 HRs (led team), with 36 hits (2nd in team) and led the team with 26 RBIs.
She led the team in home runs and was a senior captain.
Downey Softball coach Ed Garcia said this about Navarro: “Delilah was on the last softball travel team I coached,” Garcia said. “I knew right away she was a talented player, and she was going to go places.
“When she arrived at Downey High School, some upper classman were intimidated of her because of her talent and her work ethic. Instantly you can tell she meant business on the field, and she could hang with any established player.
“I have enjoyed watching Delilah develop into the leader she is and to the captain she has become. She has always been athletically talented, and I knew when she was an eighth grader, that she would play division I college ball. Her talent and athleticism were undeniable even at that young age. It has been my pleasure to coach Delilah for five years; she has definitely left her mark at Downey High School.”
Navarro concluded by saying, “It took a lot of discipline and commitment to be where I am now,” Navarro said. “It definitely wasn’t easy but well worth it. To be able to keep a high GPA plus having practice, lessons, and games every day for both sports was a challenge. These sports both hold so many great memories that I will always remember.
Jayden Plata
“Winning athlete of the year was the result of four years of hard work and determination to be the best wrestler, teammate, and person I could be,” said Plata, of the award.
“Four years ago I walked into the wrestling room with no experience in the sport but I wanted to be great no matter what it took.”
In those four years he was a two-time league champ, two-time Downey Wrestling MVP, three year varsity starter and was a CIF State qualifier and was a top 16 wrestler in California.
Plata remembers his two league championship and described both titles.
“My junior year it was kind of hard,” he said. “I had to go through a couple of (wrestlers) from La Mirada and Warren, but in my senior year I knew that I put too many hours to not be league champion again. I knew that my senior year was my time.”
CIF Individual Champion
But the highlight to his four years at Downey was winning the CIF-SS Coastal Division Individual Championship in his senior year in the 132 pound weight class.
Highlighting his run to the championship, the top seeded Plata received a bye in the first round before reeling off four consecutive victories for the title, a 7-0 decision over No. 2 seed Liam Qureshi of Fountain Valley.
“As a kid I played a lot of sports, baseball, football, basketball, but coming into high school my dad gave me a couple of options and he said you should try wrestling,” Plata said. “I never looked back and It was just something new.”
Asked about his first success that got him hooked on wrestling, Plata said, “Honestly, I’d say it was winning, but it was mostly just seeing my hard work come true.”
It didn’t start that way, as a quiet and shy freshman entered a new sport in his freshman year.
Vikings coach Kyle Acevedo remembers the day that Plata first stepped into the wrestling room. “In walks Jayden Plata,” he said. “I seen this kid walk in. His hair was covering his eyes a little bit. He was maybe five feet, 110lbs, and honestly didn’t say much. As we started practicing coach Fisher and I noticed right away his work ethic and his ability to be coached.”
Plata credits coach Acevedo
Over the next four years Plata would prove the coaches right in what they saw in him as a young freshman.
Plata said of coach Acevedo on how he has transformed into a champion. “Coach Acevedo has been there since the beginning,” he said. “He’s been my biggest supporter, critic, coach, and teacher. I don’t know where I would be without him.”
Plata also gave credit to his parents saying, “My parents also played a huge role in my success,” he said. “Traveling to tournaments, driving to club practices, cooking the right food for me, and being there for me no matter what the outcome was made me a better wrestler.”
By the time his junior year came around, Plata finished fourth in CIF Individuals and was a CIF Masters qualifier.
“I think what changed (in my later years) was my mindset in my junior and senior year knowing that I had to be a voice for my team,” said Plata, of his leadership. “Just knowing I had that voice I knew I was going to be a captain with my confidence.”
Prior to Plata arriving on campus in his freshman year, Acevedo had a very tough season. The arrival of the young wrestler was perfect timing for the coaching staff in their approach to the season.
That next year changed everything, including Acevedo’s coaching philosophy. “I wanted to change the culture of the program,” Acevedo said.
“That year (Plata) got a lot of matches and bought into our new culture what we were trying to set at Downey high school,” Acevedo said. “Throughout the years his ability to compete stood out.”
Jayden remembers his freshman year, which had some big numbers.
“We had a big team, I’d say about 40 kids,” he said. “Our seniors were really helpful. They were a big role model for me and my freshman peers
In his senior year he also was team captain and led his team to a CIF Division 4 Duals Finals appearance, was fourth in the Masters and finished with an amazing 40-7 record.
Plata talked of his next step going to college at Grand View University.
“In August, I’m going to be moving out to Iowa. The NAIA program is very accomplished and they are very successful and I just plan to build on to that and be a sponge as much as I can to those coaches and my teammates.
“Wrestling is a brotherhood and that’s the culture we’ve tried to instill at Downey these last four years. This chapter ends but a new one starts as I prepare to wrestle for Grand View University in the fall (Ironically the Grand View mascot is also a Viking). I’ll take these life lessons I’ve learned the last four years with me to college and I know I will continue to make my coaches, family, and friends proud.
“I know that it’s going to pretty tough, but if I keep my mindset that I’ve had these last four years I know that I can accomplish big things.”
Acevedo concluded and said about his former star wrestler, “I have no doubt in my mind that Plata is going to succeed because he loves what he does and does it to the best of his ability.”
