Category: Sports

  • Waterpolo Struggles to Stay Afloat

    Boys water polo has gotten off to a rough start, losing all three games since their first game on September 3 against Corona Santiago.

    Monday, September 22, the team traveled to Irvine for their game against the Vaqs. Yet again the boys start off the game already trailing by two at the end of the first quarter. During the second quarter, the boys add two goals to the scoreboard, but are not able to hold back the Vaqs who scored three goals on the Jackrabbits. The boys are able to score four more goals in the remaining 16 minutes but still are not able to catch up, losing to Irvine with a final score of 10-6.

    On September 15 the boys had a game against Fountain Valley. Right off the bat the boys were off to a rough start, ending the first quarter with a three point deficit, 6-3. Unable to push through Fountain Valley’s defense, the boys were only able to add one more goal to the scoreboard, making it 8-4 at halftime. As the game closed the boys picked up their game, scoring 6 goals in the last 16 minutes of the game, but still were unable to catch up to their opponents, losing with a close score of 13-10.

    The boys visited Corona Santiago for their first official pre-season game on Wednesday September 3. The boys were able to keep up with Corona for the first 8 minutes of the game, finishing the first quarter with a tied score of 3-3. At half time, the boys were only behind 3-2, but by the end of the third quarter were trailing behind 14-8. Unfortunately the boys were not able to bounce back during the fourth quarter only scoring one more goal, and eventually losing to Corona with a final score of 16-9.

    For the last three games, senior team caption Justin Jarvis has leads the scoreboard with a total of seven goals, followed by sophomore Mathias Pettersson with four, and junior Brody Wells with three.

  • Polyball Takes a Hit

    Polyball Takes a Hit

    The Poly girls volleyball team started off Moore League competition on Tuesday, September 23 against Lakewood High School. The home crowd in the Ron Palmer Pavillion was ready for an exciting rival game. Fans from both teams packed the gym.

    “It was one you didn’t want to miss,” said junior middle hitter Madi Hectus.

    The Jackrabbits were swept in three sets; however, they kept each set close, with scores of 23-25, 21-25, and 23-25. They held their own against the top ranked team in CIF and a consensus top 10 team in the country.

    Middle blockers Erin Williams and Nofo Keil had good blocking at the net for Poly. On the offense,the team was led by Labero Pai Iosia, who showed strong serving.
    Throughout the sets, Poly rallied from behind, showing determination. At one point, the team was down by 9 points, and rallied to lose the set by only 2 points.

    From September 12-15, the team made a preseason road trip to Vegas, to compete in the Durango Fall Classic. During this tournament, the Jackrabbits lost to Santa Margarita and Lakewood, but won against Dana Point. Not only is preseason focusing on better volleyball performance, but also helping to build the chemistry between teammates. This chemistry is crucial for a team-oriented sport, such as volleyball.

    “Although there are many new people on the team, we get along well,” said middle hitter Sofia Keil.

    Despite the team loss, they will use the experience of playing a top level Lancer team for the rest of the season.

    “We can only get better and move forward! Learn from our mistakes,” said Leafa Yandall.

    The Jackrabbits continue against Moore League teams, facing Millikan on September 30, and Wilson on October 2.

  • 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.”

  • 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.

  • Jackrabbits Swim to 2nd in Moore League

    Swim season has come to an end, as both teams were defeated at Wilson on April 30, and then yet again outdone by Wilson on Moore League finals. The Jackrabbits then brought their top qualifiers to CIF on Friday, May 16, and then again for finals on Saturday, May 17.

    On May 16 and 17, a team of 19 swimmers traveled to Riverside to participate in Divison 2 CIF. A total of 14 swimmers qualified for finals on the 17. This included the relay team of sophomore Saranna Quach, freshman Bella Magalong, junior Clare Leonard and senior Alana Murray, who broke the school records for both the 200 medley and the 400 free relay. For the boys, senior Lee Puckett set the school record for the 100 backstroke with a time of 55.99 seconds.  In addition, the relay team of junior Jonathan “Chief” Coleman, senior Ryan Rockenbach, Puckett and senior Ryan Sar broke the school record for the 200 free relay.

    “It was a record setting year for Poly. We placed higher than Wilson and Millikan at CIF,” said Rockenbach. “Making CIF was such a huge accomplishment for me.”

    On the week of May 5 to 9, Cabrillo hosted all Moore League prelims and finals at their new pool. On Tuesday, May 6, and then Thursday, May 9, the girls traveled to Cabrillo to defend last year’s Moore League victory. Unfortunately, the girls were unable to defend their Moore League Championship against Wilson, placing second overall.  Despite the loss, it was still a positive night for the Jackrabbits who not only won the sportsmanship award, but also school records in the 200 medley relay, 400 free relay and 100 breaststroke.

    “Coming in this year, I didn’t know what to expect for high school swim,” said Magalong. “Even though we weren’t able to win, I am happy to be on this team.”

    The boys swam at Moore League Prelims on May 7 and then Finals on the 10th. Unlike the girls, the boys were swimming in hopes of winning their first Moore League title, but the Bruins outswam the Jackrabbits, who came in second with a total of 402 points.

    “My strategy going into Moore League was to try to match-up with Wilson and Lakewood as best as we could. We tied for a 2nd place finish last year with Lakewood to Wilson at Moore League. My main goal was to close the gap between us and Wilson, which we achieved,” said head coach Eddie Kim.

    On April 30, the Jackrabbits traveled to Wilson, as the two biggest Long Beach rivals came together to see which team’s perfect league streak was broken. Even though it was close throughout the meet, neither were able to get the win over the Bruins. Both teams held a slight lead at the halfway mark, but Wilson’s depth in the 500 freestyle turned the tables in the Bruins favor. The Jackrabbits slowly lost their lead and soon both teams came to lose to the Bruins 93-76 for the boys and 91-79 for the girls.

    Despite the losses, the Jackrabbits had a great year with several new records under their belt. While many swimmers leave for water polo season, the training continues for the Jackrabbit swimmers to claim Moore League next year.

  • Boys and Girls Swim Remain Undefeated in Moore League Standings

    Both boys and girls swim are well into season, one step closer to becoming Moore League Champions as they defeated both Lakewood on April 11 and Millikan on March 28.

    On Friday April 11, Poly played against Lakewood at their last home meet. This was the final home meet for the Jackrabbits, so in addition to competing, the team honored its seniors for their dedication to the program.

    “I’ve been on varsity swim for four years, so [swim] has been a big part of my life. I spent so much time here at this pool. Many great moments happened here and its sad leaving it all behind,” said senior Camille Mojica.

    Just as last year, the varsity girls swept most events, eventually winning 112-58. The boys turned the tables on the Lancers this year with improved players and a better team dynamic, winning 97-73.

    On March 28, Poly visited Millikan as they faced off against their hardest competitor next to Wilson. Both girls and boys were neck and neck until the end, where both teams ended with a 96-73 victory over the Rams.

    “This is a practice meet for Wilson. Millikan is a fierce team and we came out fast. We didn’t perform as expected, but this just showed us how we must prepare for Wilson,” said sophomore Emma Skinner.

    The team traveled to their last non-league meet at Downey High School on April 2. Even with rain and severe weather conditions, the girls were able to add another win to their list defeating the Vikings 112-44. Unfortunately, the boys did not hold up as well, getting their first loss of the season with a loss 125-45.

    “We were missing our top swimmers, and we weren’t swimming our usual events. We thought we could manage, but we definitely underestimated Downey and their times,” said junior Johnathan “Chief” Coleman.

    Top girl and boys swimmers participated in the Klaus Barth Invitational meet at Wilson on  Thursday April 14, but could not be reported on due to press time constraints. Qualifiers for both boys and girls will move on to finals on Friday, April 18 at 5 pm at Belmont Pool.

    On April 30, both teams will travel to Wilson for the biggest and most intense meet of Moore League.

  • Badminton Remains Undefeated in Moore League

    The badminton team beat Lakewood and Wilson. They are in first place in the Moore League with an undefeated record.

    The Jackrabbits beat Lakewood 20-1 last Thursday, April 10 at Poly, the biggest win over Lakewood since head coach Steve Meckna took over the program. Senior Karl Luciano, who was out for three weeks due to an ankle injury, won both of his singles games.

    “The most important thing about Karl’s matches is they showed that he is back. He played very well at about 85% of his full strength,” said Coach Meckna.

    The boys doubles team of seniors Andy Nguyen and Chai Vue swept their games, and all the girls teams won their games, extending the girls singles teams’ winning streak to 40. On Tuesday, April 8, the team beat Wilson 16-5 at Wilson’s gym. Early that day, the mixed doubles team of senior Amanda Phou and junior Vattanak Ry won 4 of 5 very close games.

    “Winning the mixed games early were very important. That set the momentum going our way,” said Meckna.

    The boys doubles team of Nguyen and Vue continued the momentum by winning both of their games. Luciano made his first appearance since his injury, winning 1 of 2 singles games. The girls teams swept all of their games. The boys singles and mixed doubles team retain talent from last year, returning Ry, the returning Moore League boys singles and mixed doubles champion, Phou, the returning Moore League mixed doubles champion, and boys singles player Luciano, who has been slowed down by injuries.

    An improved area has been the boys doubles team. Last year, opponents would construct stronger boys doubles team when playing Poly because Poly’s boys singles teams were much stronger. Nguyen and Vue have turned the boys doubles team around from being the laughingstock to the best in the league.

    The real secret weapon is the girls team as a whole. The girls have won 76 of 80 games in Moore League, with girls singles undefeated in league play. Poly played Cabrillo, the second best team in the league, on April 15. The score could not be reported due to press time restraints.