DC Shadow 2026 Team Preview
Hey Shadowians! (Yes, I just coined that term for this post.)
Has the off-season felt as long for you as it has for us?! Never fear! DC Shadow 2026 is back stronger than ever and ready to defend their Championship Trophy from 2025. Already fighting through weather and field space issues at tryouts and practice weekends, this team will be no stranger to “Grit”, “Rally”ing through difficulty, and…Scandal? Well, maybe not that last one, we hope.
The coaching staff has plenty of familiar faces for us, with last year’s O-line boss David Maniloff moving up the ranks to the Head Coach position. Very well deserved, Coach! David says he is “really excited to watch our team this season” and knows that “repeating in this league is really tough, seeing as there have been 4 different winners in each of the past 4 seasons. This challenge is really exciting for our group, we know that teams will be coming for us, and that it won’t be easy, but it will push us to be the best team we can be.” While he admits that “we have lost some massive contributors from last season, [but] we are excited about our new additions and still see ourselves as an incredibly deep team, and plan to continue to lean on that strength throughout this year. We look forward to continuing to show off all the incredible talent we have in the DMV and aim to build on the positive momentum from last season in pursuit of another championship.” If that doesn’t get you juiced, then I don’t know what will!
Maniloff’s assistant coaches include all returners as well: please welcome previous Head Coach John Agan (he just can’t stay away), Layne Kyung (hoping for less travel headaches for her this year), and Ty “Everyone Needs a Gap Year (or Two)” Aderhold! We love continuity in the coaching staff as much as we love it from cutter to cutter (continuation cuts, anyone?!)
Alright, enough coach talk. Let’s get to the folks that dawn the Breakmark jerseys, lace up the cleats, and shower us with highlight-worthy moments all season: that’s right, time for the PLAYERS! DC Shadow has another stacked roster this year, which should be no surprise to…literally anyone. With a good mix of reliable returners but electrifying newcomers, this roster is bound to dazzle (cue oohs and ahhs).
Some of our sensational returners (although the list is quite long) include D-line superstars Ashleigh Jentiletwho has never missed a DC Shadow game IN HER LIFE, Jackie Wang ready to send more jaw-dropping layouts, and Amanda “Beans” Murphy whose shifty movement will leave any opponent juked out of their cleats. Returners from last year’s O-line include Sami Smalling, Tyler Smith, and Kira Flores, all hoping to bring the same smooth and steady movement to the Shadow handler core. Dynamic cutting duo Kat Ritzmann and Allie Wallace return as well, ready to compete for most receiving yards in this year’s official stats. This is just to name a few amongst other stalwarts for DC Shadow 2026 (we’re on a word count limit here, people, but know that everyone on this roster is remarkable!)
In case you’re thinking “been there, done that,” you can just cut that thought right off because Shadow’s rookies will also not disappoint! 2-time Club National Champion Kat McGuire and Club National semifinalist Rita Feder are two of the most thrilling pickups here to bring the razzle-dazzle, pep-in-your-step type of energy to the field this year. Other standouts include Lily Johnson, with a chance to be a massive offensive contributor, and Maya Kikuchi, with the potential for the same impact on the opposite side of the disc. Both are from smaller/lesser-known programs but have high hopes to be “queens of the sky.” Can’t wait to watch all the newbies shine!
That’s all we’ve got for you for now. Hopefully you’re a little farther from the edge of your seat based on these updates, but be sure to stay tuned for other intel regarding tickets, sponsorship, designs, and more. Ta-ta for now!
