Author: adviser

  • Poly Rallies Up Another Win

    Poly Rallies Up Another Win

    Poly kicked off the football season with a pep rally last Thursday, August 28 at Chick-Fil-A in the Towne Center.

    Chick-Fil-A hosted the Poly Football team, cheer squad, marching band and commission for the 5th annual fundraiser pep rally to get everyone in spirit for the upcoming football season. The event featured performances by the cheer squad and marching band as well as Chick-Fil-A’s Cow mascots.

    “It was a lot of fun. I think it brought up a lot of Poly Spirit and the cheerleaders had fun performing for the crowd,” said junior cheerleader Miranda Deguzman.

    Aside from the spirit squad and band performances, the festivities included a DJ and many audience participatory activities like musical chairs and line dancing. One of the Chick-Fil-A cows broke out into dance to entertain the crowd in the time between the spirit performances and the audience activities. The event also acted as a social event before the end of summer rolls around.

    “I thought the rally was really fun because it gave me the opportunity to show some spirit and catch up with some friends,” said junior Hannah Alicia. “I think it really reflected the Poly spirit and we should have rallies more often.”

    It is not yet announced how much money was raised but Chick-Fil-A will provide Poly with the check soon.

    “We had a lot of people that came out, the crowd was excited, and Antonio Pierce made an appearance,” said Poly’s new Activities Director, Ngoc Nguyen. “He is very high energy and brought a lot of spirit with him. He really pumped up the students.”

    Pierce is Poly’s new head football coach as well as a former New York Giants Superbowl Champion and a current ESPN analyst. He envisions that the student section in the football stands will be a huge party every Friday night.

    The rally proved to be a success because the team pulled to a win at an away game against Crenshaw last Saturday with a score of 54-14.

  • A New Tradition, A New Dynasty

    A New Tradition, A New Dynasty

    The Poly football team had a strong performance in their season opener against Crenshaw, winning 54-14, at Mission Viejo High School, led by first year head coach Antonio Pierce. The Jackrabbits debuted their new Adidas uniforms. A notable addition is the word “TRADITION” on the back of the jersey, with “Scholar” and “Champion” on the arm sleeves.

    Senior quarterback Josh Love showed accuracy with short passes, going 15-18 for 235 yards. Love also displayed his mobility, running two touchdowns in himself. Junior receiver Jackie Jones showed off his nimble feet, dodging opponents and creating first downs.

    Senior running back Jeremy Calhoun was the top rusher on the ground, accumulating 90 yards on the ground in the first half.

    The team played strong in the first half, having all scores generated by the offense. All six drives by Poly in the first half turned into touchdowns. Entering halftime, the team led 34-7.

    “We wanted to finish the game as a team and a family,” said Coach Love at halftime. “The coaches wanted the team to finish strong, and continue to play aggressively.”

    The coaches were very satisfied with the offensive production in the first half.

    “The rotation was great, and play calling was great,” said Coach Love. “The offensive coordinator made great adjustments

    “Biggie” Marshall said the key to Poly’s defense during the game was continuously attacking the ball.

    “The D line had precision, and the linebackers filled the holes,” said Marshall.

    Many players experimented with different positions throughout the game. This included Omari Lyles at running back, Iman “Biggie” Marshall at receiver, Joseph Wicker at defensive tackle, and Gabe Rivera at left tackle.

    Because of the seniors that left last year, new players are filling them. 4 of the five starters on the offensive line are having their first starts on varsity. Additionally, John “Juju” Smith’s positions at receiver and safety are being replaced. Jackie Jones should fill the receiver position this year. Kitu Humphrey is projected to fill the safety position.

    Throughout the second half, the second string players received significant play time, including senior quarterback

    Additionally, the defense was relentless, having nine sacks throughout the game. Joseph Wicker, who had six of the nine sacks, put constant pressure on the Crenshaw quarterback, Dalton Anderson. In all, the Jackrabbits won 54-14, with 402 all-purpose yards.

    “We were playing really fast. We executed and dominated,” said Jeremy Calhoun.

    The next game in Poly’s preseason is against Narbonne tonight at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium. These two teams last met in the 2012 preseason, when the Gauchos beat Poly 56-0, one of the worst losses in Poly history. The Narbonne game is a “blackout” (a game in which everyone is encouraged to wear black). Black t-shirts will be sold at the game for $10.

  • Jackrabbits Run Their Buns Off

    The Poly cross country team capped off the summer with another wildly successful Bun Run fundraiser on Saturday, August 30 at Los Cerritos Park.

    Both the boys and girls cross country team use the Bun Run as their only fundraising event for the year. The event consisted of a team time trial, a community 5K run/walk, a pancake breakfast, and a prize raffle. This year, the team was able to raise over $14,000 for the upcoming season.

    “The last few years, the parents have really pitched in the make it a great event,” said Mike Fillipow, the boys head coach. “But, it was really about the runners.”

    The event’s success was highly based on the support and generosity of the athlete’s parents who donated both time and supplies. Many were at the park before sunrise to help the coaches set up. Others came later to help work the booths and serve the food.

    The Bun Run was originally named for the cinnamon buns the team would bring to share at their final time trial for the summer before the start of the official racing season. It has grown and evolved greatly from that point to a massive community event that, this year, saw over 650 people come out and support the team Saturday morning while many more supported by buying raffle tickets.

    “It was cool doing the Bun Run for the sixth time and being part of the supportive and expansive community that surrounds the cross country team! The pancakes were a plus too,” said alumni Lan Nguyen.

    The Poly cross country program has been holding the Bun Run for over 20 years now and it has seen its fair share of familiar faces. Alumni and former cross country parents enjoy coming back each year to catch up over fitness and food.

    “It was fun running this course for the past 4 years. This is one of the courses that I can count on because it hasn’t changed,” said senior captain Matt Oca.

    The boys will be racing again tomorrow, Saturday, September 6, at the Fastback Shootout held on the Mt. SAC cross country course while the girls will be in Cerritos at the Great Cow Run.

  • Girls Tennis Gets Slammed in Season Opener

    The Lady Jackrabbits not only had their first day of classes this Wednesday September 3, but also had their first game to kick off their season. The girls visited Mira Costa to face the Mustangs in their first pre-season game, but unfortunately the girls fell behind on the scoreboard, losing 16-2. Winning two out of the 18 possible matches were the doubles team of juniors Megan Guttieri and Ariana Crockett, and the senior captain singles player, Shannon Dow.

    “It was a lot of pressure to get the win since there was only one win on our side,” said Crockett. “I am proud of how we played , it was nice to win one against a solid tennis team like Mira Costa,” added partner Guttieri.

    The girls also played North Torrance yesterday, Thursday September 4, but could not be reported on due to press time constraints.

    The girls are now practicing for their next pre-season game next Tuesday, September 9 against Glen A. Wilson, and leading up to their first Moore League on Tuesday September 16, against one of their fiercest competitors, the Wilson Bruins. “We need to give our 100 percent,”said Dow regarding their future game against Wilson. “I’m confident in our abilities.”

  • Jackrabbits Attend Red Cross Development Camp

    Jackrabbits Attend Red Cross Development Camp

    Five Poly students attended the Red Cross Leadership Development Camp (LDC) held in Pilgrim Pines during the first week of August.

    This year, seniors Vivian Huynh, Amanda Pham, Kevin Wei and junior Riana Butler were selected as delegates to attend LDC.

    For five days, delegates actively participated in sessions in which they cultivated core leadership skills such as public speaking, professional development, and diversity awareness.

    “I loved every single minute of it, and I definitely plan on coming back again,” said senior Kevin Wei.

    Many delegates from previous years continue to attend the camp annually and become staff members of the camp.

    Staff members, all of who are mostly high school or college students, spend copious time and effort to plan the camp sessions for attending delegates. This year, senior Irene Ear volunteered to become a staff member after attending the leadership development camp last summer.

    “People come back to staff all throughout their adult life just because [LDC] is just that meaningful. As a staff member, my eyes were opened to better understanding life and the people around me,” said Ear, who is also president of Poly’s Red Cross Club.

    The Red Cross Leadership Development Camp formed friendships that will last a lifetime, and most importantly, it developed leaders who will make a difference in their communities.

  • Poly Goes Digital with Attendance

    As students return for the 2014-2015 school year, LBUSD will launch a new system for taking attendance. Most students at Poly are familiar with the traditional system for taking attendance. Since elementary school days, teachers have called out names, waited for responses, and then, using a pencil, appropriately filled in the corresponding bubble on their role sheet.

    However, this year, teachers will record attendance with the use of a computer instead of a piece of paper. The digital forms will be sent directly to the attendance office.

    Prior to implementation of this new system, students or teacher’s aides would frequently be asked to physically deliver the attendance sheets to the office. Th staff in the attendance office would then manually enter the information into a computer system. Eliminating the need for staff members to retrieve attendance sheets from each classroom means this digital, streamlined process for attendance will save time for both staff members and students.

    The new attendance system is one of several examples of how Poly has begun to use technology to improve daily activities around the school. However, this is one that will benefit both students and teachers.

    Another change that will come from the new system is the way in which parents are notified of of their student’s absences. Parents will now be emailed via School Loop when their student is marked absent from class. Removing paper completely from the process makes for valuable environmental efficiencies.

    Students that are marked absent from class will still be expected to fill out a readmit from the attendance office in order to excuse their absence. As in previous years, parents must provide a written note for their student to recieve a readmit. The readmits are then sorted in the attendance office. But, with LBUSD’s new form of attendance, students and parents will be more aware of when the students needs to provide a readmit.

    The 2014-2015 school year is the first to use this new yet valuable system. These improvements will benefit not just Poly, but schools throughout Long Beach Unified.

  • Jackrabbit News Brief: Summer 2014

    Jackrabbit News Brief: Summer 2014

    Ferguson protests

    Protesters flooded the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, demanding justice for the death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown and the police officer who fatally shot him. Following the shooting, members of the Ferguson peacefully protested for over two weeks, but unrest escalated when police forces began using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. The shooting has spurred national debates about racial profiling and police brutality. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice have committed to conduct an investigation related to the shooting.


    California drought

    According to government officials, California has lost 63 trillion gallons of water in the past 18 months. Water levels in lakes and reservoirs have reached historic lows. The dire water situation has been compounded to unusual heat and record-low rainfalls. With thousands losing their jobs in the agricultural sector and food prices skyrocketing, California’s agricultural business remains to be the biggest victim of the drought. California lawmakers recently sent a package of bills to Governor Jerry Brown; if approved, these bills will allow the state to begin regulating the groundwater supply for the first time.


    Ebola outbreak

    An epidemic of the Ebola virus has affected five countries in West Africa. With 1,552 deaths confirmed by the World Health Organization, the 2014 outbreak has been marked as one of the largest Ebola outbreaks in history. Odds of survival stand at about 50-50; however, two American aid workers were the first patients to be successfully treated for the Ebola virus in the United States. Although there isn’t a cure or vaccine for Ebola, a number of experimental drugs are currently under study such as ZMapp and TKM-Ebola.


    Iraq crisis

    The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is an offshoot of Al-Qaeda, and it has been labeled as a foreign terrorist organization by the United Nations. ISIS’s mission is to create an Islamic state governed by a hard-line interpretation of Islamic law; however, ISIS bears no mercy to those who stand in its way. ISIS has ransacked towns and villages in Iraq, making sweeping territorial gains. They also brutally massacred religious minorities. In response to this, the U.S. deployed air strikes against ISIS; tens of thousands of Iraqi Yazidis were successfully evacuated after seeking refuge in the Sinjar Mountains.

  • Slideshow: Class of 2014 Attends Senior Prom

    Slideshow: Class of 2014 Attends Senior Prom

    The Class of 2014 attended their Senior Prom at the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 24th. In previous years, the venue for prom had typically been the California Science Center. However, the Class of 2014 vigorously fundraised for the past four years and fortunately had enough funding to afford a more elegant venue. “Senior year was the best year of my life. I can honestly say that prom was my greatest high school experience at Poly; it sealed the deal,” said senior Marcel Rodriguez. For some seniors, senior prom was an event that they had been looking forward to since they were freshmen. For many, it was more than what’d they imagined. “Prom exceeded all my expectations. I made memories that I’ll cherish forever,” said senior Ryan Riehl.

  • Trackrabbits Race to the Finish

    On Friday May 9, the boys and girls track and field team competed in the 58th Moore League finals competition, placing first in both divisions. Poly won 16 out of the 20 running races with a noteworthy performance by the girls, who topped the podium for all twenty races.

    Starting off the day was the 4x100m relay, which Poly won in both the boys and girls division.

    The 1600m was won by freshman Melissa Tanaka and junior Anthony Palazzo, who won with times of 5:17.05 and 4:27.42, respectively.

    Junior Mar’yea Harris and freshman Kaelin Roberts won the 400m race. Harris edged out Wilson’s Kemonie Briggs by .05 seconds, finishing in 47.68 seconds. Roberts finished in 55.25 seconds.

    The girls hurdles was led by seniors Ebony Crear and Kymber Payne. Crear finished ahead of Payne in both the 100m and 300m hurdles. Both have been neck-and-neck throughout the entire season, placing first and second in many tournaments. On the boys side, senior Juan Ward finished third in the 110m hurdles and second in the 300m hurdles.

    The 800m run was won by senior Janice Lane and junior Chris Polk. Polk was behind for most of the race, but had a strong final lap and won in 1:54.56.

    Senior Ariana Washington swept her premier sprinting races, the 100m and 200m, having been Moore League champion in these races since 2012. Washington finished the 100m in 11.50 seconds and the 200m in 24.20 seconds. Washington is one of the fastest sprinters nationwide, having competed in the Youth World Track Championships last summer.

    In addition, Poly had strong performances in the field events. Seniors Tierney Russell and Niki Withers finished second and third in high jump. Senior Vincent Calhoun won the high jump and placed second in the long jump.  Junior Onyx Gaston won both the girls long jump and triple jump, while senior George Sayles won the triple jump.

    These victories marked the 19th and 14th league championship for the boys and girls, respectively. They were also a fitting farewell to esteemed track coach Don Norford, who is retiring this year.

    The track team hopes to advance to the CIF state meet on June 6-7, where the girls aspire to earn another title. The girls are some of the fastest in the nation, posting leading times in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, and hurdles events. The boys have the potential to perform strongly in the post-season as well, with one of the fastest 4×400 teams in the state and a strong 4×100 relay as well.

    The team competed at CIF prelims on May 17, but could not be covered due to press constraints. CIF Southern Section finals will be held the following Saturday on May 24.

  • Boys Tennis Swings to Co-Championship with Bruins

    The Poly boys tennis team lost to Oaks Christian last Friday during their second round of CIF (14-4), after finishing their league season successfully, clinching a Moore League co-championship with the Wilson Bruins.

    “[The co-championship] feels deserved. We play really hard,” said junior Orion Sundstrom.

    The last time the Jackrabbits won Moore League was in another co-championship with the Bruins in 2012. Last year and in 2011, Poly came in second in the Moore League to the Bruins.

    Senior co-captain Alex Nagourney won two sets in the singles matches at Oaks Christian on Friday, May 16, but it was not enough to help out the Jackrabbits. They lost to the Lions with a score of 14-4. This loss marked the first loss after a ten game winning streak for Poly, in addition to their season’s conclusion.     

    “I think we did really well this season. Everyone improved a lot. Shout out to junior Diego Satkofsky, who kept improving every match!” said Nagourney.

    The Jackrabbits’ won their first round of CIF against Quartz Hill on Wednesday, May 14, with a score of 15-3. Nagourney and senior co-captain John Huson swept in their singles matches to keep Poly in the lead. Other performances by the team helped contribute to the overall Jackrabbit victory.

    “[The heat] made it pretty hard to play that day, but we were able to pull through with a win [against Quartz Hill]. There was really no pressure at all. It felt like a regular game,” said junior McKrey Stribich.

    Wrapping up their season with an 18-0 sweep against Cabrillo at the Jaguars’ home courts, the boys proceeded to Moore League tournaments the week of May 5. Monday and Tuesday consisted of the individual tournaments. Nagourney and Huson took second and third, respectively. Nagourney and Huson have been key assets to the team’s success because of their leadership skills and experience.

    During the doubles matches on Wednesday and Thursday, the Poly doubles team of Nagourney and Satkofsky came in second place in the doubles tournament.

    “I’m happy for my team,” said coach Ricardo Montecinos.

    The boys tennis team is done for the season, but many are returning next year for a chance to finally beat out the Bruins for the Moore League title. Season resumes again next spring. 

  • Badminton Smashes & Wins in Moore League

    The badminton team closed a great season of team play by advancing to the semifinals in the CIF Team tournament and winning the Girls Moore League championship. In doing this, they proved their dominance amidst improved Moore League competition.

    On Thursday, May 8, at the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club, the team lost 13-8 to a talented Mira Costa team in the semifinals of the Open Division CIF Team tournament. Head coach Steve Meckna admired their play against a team comprised of experienced club players.

    “I’m very satisfied that we showed we belonged in the same division as the very best,” said Meckna.

    The games were close, with six of the games going into the third set. The boys doubles team of seniors Andy Nguyen and Chai Vue and the girls doubles team of seniors Jessica Tauch and Cindy Chou won both of their games, respectively.

    On April 29, at the Moore League tournament, the girls and boys team finished in first and second place, respectively. Defending champion junior Vattanak Ry lost to Wilson 11-5, 11-4 in the boys singles championship.

    “People have good and bad days, and I tried my best,” said Ry.  Nguyen and Vue lost 11-3, 10-13, 5-11 to Wilson in the boys doubles final.

    The girls dominated the singles & the doubles games. Chou and Tauch won girls doubles 13-10, 7-11, 13-11 over defending champions Millikan.      

     “They’re incredibly tenacious with keeping the shuttle in play; other teams get frustrated trying to beat them,” said Meckna.

    Poly sophomore Mary Nguyen and senior Jennifer Heng took third place in girls doubles in a 11-5, 9-11, 13-12 win over Cabrillo, and sophomore Kristine Nguyen defeated senior Amanda Phou 11-8, 11-3 to win the girls singles championship.

    Poly will shift its sights to the CIF Individuals tournament; the date is to be determined.

  • A New Era in Poly Football

    The Poly football team held its annual Spring Football Game on Friday, May 16 at the Poly football field.

    A crowd of around 500 spectators filled the bleachers, eager to watch the new football team display their skills. This year marks the departure of several football figures, most notably USC-bound John “JuJu” Smith and esteemed coach Raul Lara, who led the Jackrabbits to multiple league and CIF championships.

    However, it also marks a new era in Poly football history, one with new head coach Antonio Pierce at its helm. The “Green and Gold” game featured a new football team, one that includes seasoned veterans and rising players.

    It was evident that next years’ team possessed unlimited potential, showing a lot of depth and talent from its newcomers, like sophomores Micah Croom and Jackie Jones. The new players surely compensated for the hole left by the college-bound seniors, and have a chance of surpassing their accomplishments with determination and grit. Split into two teams, the Poly football team showcased its versatility and adeptness on the field.

    The event also comprised of passing league style games, various food trucks, and the presence of noteworthy Poly alumni. Snoop Dogg was on hand to watch the game, much to the crowd’s excitement. Other alumni present include Pro Bowler Marcedes Lewis and a dozen former CIF football players. In addition, several scouts came to visit, representing Stanford, USC, and Boise State, to name a few. Overall, the entire event was a fun-filled, exciting spectacle for students, teachers, and parents alike.

    “I certainly had an amazing time watching the game and participating in all of the activities. The game was fun to watch, and the team looks extremely strong and capable of winning a championship. My favorite part was meeting Snoop Dogg, however,” said junior Irene Ear.

    The Jackrabbits will officially enter season in late August, facing off against Crenshaw at Mission Viejo on August 30.