Category: Sports

  • Rabbits Run For the Hills

         Poly’s Cross Country Team had a “hard run” this past week, from October 10th-18th, with the Clovis Run, Moore League, and Dos Pueblos race all in the same week..
    The Clovis Invitational is an intensive 3 mile race that took place in Fresno’s Woodward Park on Friday and Saturday, October 10-11. This exclusive race only hosts the boys, and only takes the top seven runners from all levels. Varsity member, Colby Penn, junior, came first for Poly’s boys’ team, with a time of 15:55. He was followed by Sophomore Hugo Novoa, with16:13, and then Junior Gian Delfin, with 16:24. Penn ranked 68th place out of 1895 contestants. Novoa
    was placed 125th, followed by Delfin who finished 174th.
        The second half of the boys Moore League happened on October 15th on Signal Hill, a 3 mile course and said to be one of the more difficult ones.
         “It’s hilly, full of dirt, and generally a slow course,” said Senior Kai Filipow.
         Despite the challenging course, it was a sweeping victory for Poly, who won first place once more.
         Yet again it was Penn, who ran a 16:23 that took first place. In second place came Novoa, who ran a 16:26, followed by Delfin and Junior Conor Ragland, who  both tied for third with a run time of 16:27. All in all, the boys did well on all levels.

         On the girls side, the Jackrabbits were commanding. Sophomore Melissa Tanaka won the race, with a personal best of 19:31. The rest of the team followed right after her, taking the top seven spots.
         From Friday October 17th to Saturday the 18th , all levels of the boy’s team were in Santa Barbara for the Dos Pueblos race. The 3 mile race was held at Shoreline Park, a scenic course along the windy coastline. Despite the difficulty of the course, with its gradual climb and tall grass, Poly still won for the 11th year in a
    row.
         Finishing first was Penn with a time of 15:50, shortly followed by Delfin who finished with a time of 15:55. One second behind Delfin was Novoa, who placed third with a time of 15:56.
    This Saturday, October 25th, with is the Mt.SAC race, where Poly should stand out. The next Moore League meet will be on November 6 at Heartwell Park.

  • Poly Silences the Lancers

    The Poly football team continues to roll through the M o o r e L e a g u e . T h e i r m o s t r e c e n t w i n o v e r L a k e w o o d (49-7) gives the Jackrabbits a current league record of 4-0. In the week leading up to  the Lakewood game, an article appeared online, which was highly critical of the Jackrabbits. Written by a Lakewood alumnus, this article caused a social media frenzy. Though the article was not officially associated with Lakewood H i g h S c h o o l o r L a k e w o o d football, it caused quite a stir.
         Before a packed and fired up crowd at Lakewood High  School, the Jackrabbits trampled the Lancers. This game was a record night for senior quarterback Josh Love. He threw for seven touchdowns, tying the school record. Four of the touchdowns were to senior cornerback Iman “Biggie” Marshall. The other three touchdowns were scored by senior Justin Calhoun, and juniors, Jackie Jones and Dae’John Logan

         “[Having the record] feels great, but it’s not just me. It’s my team. I had a lot of time in the pocket, thanks to my offensive line. The receivers made plays.” said Love.
         While the offense had a stellar evening, the defense was relentless throughout. Senior safety Kitu Humphrey had an interception. Senior linebacker Omari Lyles and senior defensive lineman Joseph Wicker put constant pressure on the quick and talented Lakewood senior quarterback Justin Collins. Entering halftime, Poly was leading 42-7. Unlike the previous Moore League games, the starters were left in, and continued to play for the second half. According to Poly coaches this strategy will be implemented in the remaining Moore League games to prepare the players for the tough postseason opponents.
          Another highlight happened earlier in the day, before the Lakewood game. Marshall was named an Under-Armour All- American. This prestigious title indicates he is one of the country’s best players. Marshallwill play in the All-American
    game in Florida in January.
        “It is a tremendous and great honor. I am now understanding my responsibility as a player. Getting  to wear All-American on my back and on my chest lets me respresent Poly.” said Marshall.

         The Friday before the Lakewood game the Jackrabbits traveled to Jordan High School, to compete against the Panthers. Before the game, a small ceremony was held in memory of Brad Davidson, who passed away this summer. Davidson was an administrator at both Jordan and Poly. A U.S. flag was draped over the field, and balloons of both colors were released into the air.
         In the dominating game, Poly beat the Panthers 54-10. An early fight by Jordan tied the game at 10, but the Jackrabbits showed a relentless offense and defense afterwards. Receivers Dae’John Logan and Justin Calhoun had strong performances in the air, while senior running back Jeremy Calhoun ran the ball effectively on the ground. After a bye week on October 24, the team has two home games to finish out Moore League competioin.
         They will face  Millikan on Thursday, October 3 0 , a n d Wi l s o n o n F r i d a y, November 7. The first round of post-season play begins on Friday, November 14. These teams are not determined until the CIF decides on a playoff bracket.
  • Quidditch is a Real Keeper

    Quidditch is a Real Keeper

    People may think of Quidditch as just a fictional sport from Harry Potter, but it can easily be played by Muggles (non-magic humans).

    The Long Beach Wonderbolts Quidditch Team (not directly associated with Poly) has been training every Saturday, preparing for games against colleges and high schools.

    For those who have not read Harry Potter, Quidditch is a game played on flying broomsticks that involves beating large airborne balls called bludgers at other players, scoring points with a ball called a quaffle, and catching a small, golden, winged sphere called a snitch.

    On land, Quidditch is much more like a mixture of rugby, soccer, and football.

    “The style of tackling is rugby’s. Soccer is blocking the hoops (keeping), while the receiving lines for the quaffle are just like the receivers in football,” says senior Samanda Sweet.

    There are many differences between the Quidditch Harry Potter played and the Quidditch Muggles now play, but the biggest difference after flying is the snitch. Sweet explains that the snitch in Muggle Quidditch is a human dressed in yellow that is chased, which brings in an element of tag.

    The Long Beach Wonderbolts have been around for four years, and if you’re interested in joining the crew, go to Heartwell Park this Saturday.

  • Polyball Smacks Panthers

         The Poly girls volleyball team played both league and non-league games over the middle weeks of October. Though not winning every game, the Jackrabbits showed perseverance against competitive opponents. On October 14th, the Lady Jackrabbits visited Jordan for a breezy win.
         The girls took advantage of this easy game and started strong from the beginning, winning the first set 25-9. The girls went on to win the second set with a score of 25-11, and the third set 25-8. Outside hitter Tati Yandall had 11 kills and right side hitter Jaylee had 8 kills.
         “The girls earned this game with hard work over the season,” said Head Coach Leland McGrath.
         On October 9, Poly was faced with their biggest league rival, the Lakewood Lancers for the second time this season. The Lady Jackrabbits went in strong, and were able to extend the game to four sets, a feat no other league team has been able to do against Lakewood since 2012. Though Poly won the first set, the Lancers won the game and took another step closer tot heir second straight league. Lakewood took the game with a 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, and 27-17 win. Yandall yet again led the team with 15 kills, followed by 7 kills from Erin Williams.
         On Saturday, October 10th, the girls participated in the Steve Lewis Memorial Festival. Unfortunately, the girls fell with a four set game to Villa Park High School.
         “We had rough run at the Steve Lewis Volleyball Festival,” said  McGrath.
         Losing the first set 25-20, the Jackrabbits rallied back, winning the second set 25-21. Even with 14 kills from outside hitter Tati Yandall, and 9 kills from Sammie Ah-Hong, the Jackrabbits couldn’t hold Villa Park. Poly lost the last two sets, 25-20 and 25-15, respectively. While Poly is out of league contention, they are looking forward to the postseason.
          “Hopefully we’re getting each other ready for a good run in CIF,” said McGrath.
         The girls will play at Millikan tomorrow, Thursday 22, followed by Cabrillo on the 27.
  • Water Polo Needs a Breather

    Water Polo Needs a Breather

    After losing two tough games to Wilson and St. John Bosco, our underwater Jackrabbits were able to break through with a victory over Long Beach Jordan. On the Thursday October 9, the boys hosted the Wilson Bruins in their first Moore League game. Despite losing 16-5, goalie Andrew Moskovitz played a great game with ten saves and a full length goal at the buzzer. Next up our Jackrabbits played St. John Bosco on October 14 and sadly lost to the Braves in an 18-6 upset. Upon a two game losing streak the Jackrabbits ambitiously in search for a win, were able to snap the streak with a 14-2 victory over Jordan. The boys will visit Millikan tomorrow, Thursday 22, and then go onto participate in the Canyon Tournament at Valenica High School this weekend.

  • Under Par but Under-appreciated

    Under Par but Under-appreciated

         Sports such as football and basketball attract thousands of fans, and play under intense pressure. Others require great physical strength, like wrestling and weightlifting. Though golfers do not need great strength or physical endurance,they require consistency and mental toughness. A consistent swing combines distance and accuracy For developing players, such as Poly’s team, finding the regularity from match to match is critical. Often times, players will have a great round of golf in one game, and flop in the next.As legendary golfer Arnold Palmer said, “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and
    maddening.” So while golf does not have the adrenaline-pumping action of other sports, it is still a sport of focus, and should not be underestimated as not demanding or easy.

  • Racquets Set Records

         Girls tennis is half way through season, and have proved themselves as the strongest team in Moore League. The lady jackrabbits are undefeated now, 7-0, having beaten Wilson for the first time in over ten years on Tuesday, October 7.
         It was a steady start for the girls, finishing the first round tied with the Bruins, 3-3. It looked pretty bright for the jackrabbits, not only because of the 90 degree weather. As they advanced into the second round, the girls were able to put two more won sets onto the scoreboard, leading 7-5 at the end of the round. Going into the third round, the jackrabbits only needed 3 more matches for the win.
         “We haven’t beaten them in all the four years I have been here,” said Senior captain  Shannon Dow. “It’s something that we all wanted.”
         Both teams took the courts third round with determination; Wilson looking to come back and close the gap, while Poly looked for those three games for the prolonged victory. Not only were the jackrabbits able to get the win, but also proved their dominancy in league by beating  the Bruins with a score of 12-6.

         Dow swept all her singles matches finishing the game with a perfect 3-0 slate. Among those victories was the defeat of the  previous Moore League singles champion Olivia Mendoza. Doubles team of Melanie Keo and Veronica Ta, and Megan Guitterri and Ariana Crockett also added four matches to the 12 by winning two matches each.
         On September 29 the girls h o s t e d y e t a n o t h e r t o u g h opponent, the Millikan Rams. Looking for redemption from last year’s loss that cost them the running for the Moore League title, the jackrabbits went into the game head on looking for the win over the Rams. Millikan would not go down without a fight, but the jackrabbits were able to stay a bit more focused,  winning with a tight score of 10-8.
         Adding to their 7-0 winning s t r e a k w e r e t w o 1 8 – 0 s h u t out games, against Compton o n S e p t e m b e r a n d t h e n Compton on September the 25.
         “We still have to play these teams once more, and they’ll be away games,’ said head coach R i c a r d o M o n t i c e n i o s . “ We have to make sure keep this up for the rest of the season.”
  • Hopping for the Victory

    Hopping for the Victory

    After a tough loss to the Lakewood Lancers on September 23, the Lady Jackrabbits brought it back on September 30, 2014 at Milikan High School.
    The Poly Jackrabbits set it off with a quick start in the first set with the score of 25-14. The second set was an easy going for the Lady Jackrabbits when they scored 25-10 against the Rams. Millikan pushed to come back, but by the end of the third set, Poly’s well known outside hitters Leafa Yandall and Fiapaipai Iosia kept the team up to finish the game off with a score of 25-21.
    On Thursday October 2, the jackrabbits faced the Wilson Bruins, in one of their longest games yet. With knowledge of Milan Stokes, a highly valuable junior player for Wilson, Poly was able to push through the Bruin’s menacing defense. Even with Stokes on the court with 22 kills, Poly proved to be the better team in an overall 25-16, 31-29, 25-22 sweep. Poly’s outside hitter Yandall and Cassandra Lew had 11 kills, middle blocker Erin Williams had 8 kills and 4 blocks. Outside hitter Jayleen Lehenbauer chipped in 8 kills in her first varsity start.
    “I really like the multi-faceted approach on our offense,” said Lew after her first 2 kills during the first set.
    The heat and crowd were intense. The second set went on and on, and ended at 31 for the Jackrabbits and 29 for Wilson. Poly could have finished the game off in the third set at 25-19, but with a tired defense couldn’t quite pass the ball being served over. Their lack of communication and their of focus gave Wilson a chance to come up. But with the final pass from Pai Iosia, a set from setter Jessica Doukenick and the tip from Sammy-Jo Ah-Hong, the team finally woke up to the finish.
    “Spreading the offense out, is turning into our strength,” commented Coach Leland McGrath.
    The Jackrabbits and the Bruins are now tied for second place in the Moore League with one win and one loss each. However, the Bruins have yet to face the undefeated Lakewood Lancers. Poly will play Jordan on October 8, while the Bruins will play Lakewood at 4 pm on October 7.

  • Party Like It’s 99-9

    First Quarter 

         In a historic homecoming football me, the Poly Jackrabbits outmatched the Compton Tarbabes, winning by a huge
    margin of 99-9. Here is a recap of the game, reported by quarter.
         All Poly fans and teammates were surprised when Compton had the early upper lead. On the opening kickoff, the
    Tarbabes returned the ball for 90 yards, putting them in a great scoring position. Aided by two Poly penalties, Compton
    scored an easy touchdown. In less than 30 seconds, Compton was up 6-0. After this, however, the rest of the game would be in Poly’s
    favor. 2 minutes after Compton scored, Poly answered back, when senior Justin Calhoun caught a pass and ran 23 yards. This put
    the Jackrabbits up 7-6. The team would score four more times this quarter, making the score 35-6.

    Second Quarter

         The second quarter still featured Poly’s starter players, who were effective at scoring. James Brooks had ten rushes for 136 yards.
    Even Poly’s defense scored, when junior linebacker Jason Nettles had a touchdown from a pick-six interception. However, penalties
    continued to affect Poly. A punt return by senior Iman “Biggie” Marshall was called back, because of roughing the kicker.

    Third Quarter

    The Poly coaches were not satisfied with Poly’s performance in the first half. Compton’s 9 points scored is more than the
    entire Moore League scored on Poly last season. As punishment, the team performed wind sprints. During the entire second half, a

    running clock was in place, to prevent an even larger blowout. The Poly Jackrabbits could not be stopped, however. Junior

    Dae’John Logan started the third quarter with a kickoff return for a touchdown. Additionally, the team put in secondary players, who
    continued to score on the ground. Sophomore quarterback Cameron McDonald received play time. McDonald showed off his quick
    feet by running a touchdown in himself. In total, three touchdowns were scored in the third quarter, putting Poly up 84-9.

    Fourth Quarter

    Contrary to other blowout games, the fans stayed until the end, curious if the Jackrabbits could score over 100 points. Junior
    Jackie Jones had an interception, which he ran in for a touchdown. This put the score at 91-9. The team came close, placing the
    score 99 points on a two-point conversion. On the point after attempt, junior backup quarterback Tavaka Salanoa mishandled the
    ball, and out of instinct ran in for two points. There are many interesting statistics that resulted during the game. Kicker Chile
    Gomez was 13/13 on points after touchdowns. In addition, all 75 Poly players suited up competed for Poly. A score of 99-9 is the
    most Poly has put up, since 1925 when they scored 105 points. Reflecting on the game, Poly realized they committed too many
    penalties. During Moore League games, these penalties won’t determine a win or loss. But during the postseason games, penalties
    are critical, and could eliminate the team from the playoffs. “We need to stop getting penalties. No more penalties. No more stupid stuff,” said
    senior Quarterback Josh Love.

  • Lady Jackrabbits Race to Prenationals

    The girls cross country team took a flight to Portland, Oregon to compete in the Nike Pre Nationals race. The team returned with heavier suitcases, loaded with a Varsity Championship plaque.

    The athletes ran the Nike Cross National course, where the nation’s top cross country teams compete for a national championship every December. The 5000 meter course (3.1 miles) is not known for producing especially fast times, since runners must traverse through mud, small hills, and hurdle hay bales during the race.

    “The course is a good transition from 100 percent flat courses and was extremely fun.,” said junior Mandy Wainfan.

    Poly placed first as a team. Sophomore Melissa Tanaka finished third overall in the Varsity race, and first for Poly with a time of 18:52. Tanaka led a relatively young team, with fellow sophomores Brenda Rosales ( 11th, 19:27), Olivia Gleason (16th 19:39), and Lauren Fillipow (17th, 19:45) finishing after her. Junior Mandy Wainfan (21st 19:51) followed after, with senior Pamela Tran (22nd,19:55) and freshman Leslie Diaz (30th, 20:04).

    While in Oregon, the team visited the Nike Sports Field: all-weather track, with trees surrounding it on all sides. At the field, they met professional runners including Mary Cain, Jordan Hassay, and legendary running coach Alberto Salazar.

    The team will use this experience for future races in the season, and try for a strong postseason, making it to the state meet.

  • XC Time Recap

    Rosemead Invitation Top 7 Times (Boys Only) 

    Conor Ragland – 15:22
    Aiden Kenny – 15:52 Chris Swartz- 16: 29
    Alejandro Loera – 16:38 Jacob Dorch- 16:46
    Jermaine Canody – 16:27 Jordan Peacock- 16:13

    Woodbridge Invitational

    Boys
    Colby Penn – 14:54
    Hugo Novoa – 15:06
    Gian Delfin – 15:11
    Conor Ragland -15: 32
    Matt Oca – 15:32
    Jose Long – 15:56
    Carl Hatch – 15:57
    Girls
    Melissa Tanaka – 17:47
    Lauren Fillipow – 18:03
    Pamela Tran – 18:05
    Leslie Diaz -18:06
    Brenda Rosales – 18:25
    Juliane Douds – 18: 25
    Mandy Wainfan – 18:34

     

                                                                

  • Tennis Makes a Racquet

    Tennis Makes a Racquet

    With the girls tennis season just beginning, there have been a few bumps in the road, but a bright future ahead. The game against Glen A. Wilson on September 9 had to be cancelled, but the Poly girls did get a chance to play a few games, including West Torrance on September 11, Cerritos on the 12 and Lakewood on the 23.

    On Friday, September 12 the girls visited the number one school in the division, Cerritos High School. The girls started of strong leading 3-1 through the first round, but fell behind as Cerritos bounced back for the advantage during the second and third round. Unfortunately the girls were not able to recover and lost their game against the Dons, with a final score of 11-7.

    “They are the number one team in the division,” said head coach Montecinos. “With that in mind we had a great performance; we are a young team still trying to figure out how to close our matches.”

    The girls welcomed West Torrance on Thursday, September 11 as their 7th game of the season. Even though both senior captain Shannon Dow and junior Jasmine Roberts swept all of their single matches, the team fell behind a mere two games, losing with a final score of 10-8.

    “We all did our best. Two games seems like a lot but it’s actually a very close margin,” said Roberts.

    The girls were scheduled to play their first Moore League game against Wilson on Tuesday, September 16, but was cancelled and rescheduled for Wednesday, October 22. The game against Jordan was also cancelled due to an incomplete team on Jordan’s part.

    The girls took on Lakewood on Tuesday, September 23 winning their first Moore League match 11-7. The girls also play Fountain Valley today, Thursday September 24, but could not be reported on due to press time constraints.

    “I am excited to see how the season will go,” said Dow. “I’m ready to pull out these close matches that kept us from first place last year.”

    The girls have a scheduled game against Compton today, Thursday, September 25 at 3:00 here at Poly. The girls will also host Millikan on Monday, September 29, CAMS the next day Tuesday, September 30, and end their week at Cabrillo on Thursday, October 2.