Category: Sports

  • Poly Jackrabbits Pin Down The Victory

    On January 10, boys varsity wrestling took on Lakewood in the Big Gym at Poly, and it was provided high energy entertainment for those that came to watch.

    Twelve exhilarating matches took place from weight groups 106 pounds to 235 pounds. Poly took the dub winning 8 out of 11 matches played against the fierce Lakewood Lancers. The majority of the matches were won by pins rather than points which just goes to shows how hungry varsity boys wrestling wanted the victory.

    Each match was filled with a fluctuating amount of emotions especially sophomore wrestler Zong Lo’s match. Weighing in at 152 pounds Zong showed some struggle closing in the match, but nonetheless Zong won by pinning his opponent. Zong, just a sophomore, wrestling at varsity states, “I felt nervous,” but since he had his team cheering him on, “I had courage!”

    Zong’s senior brother Chang Lo was another wrestler that night. Chang definitely has a more aggressive style, continually going after the opponent and eventually winning by a pin. The four year wrestling veteran trained so hard that, “it looks like they’re the one under performing.”

    Adrian Villicana also came out with a win that night not by a pin, but by points. You can score points for your match by escaping when your opponent has on the mat (1PT), taking your opponent on to the mat (2PT), when your opponent has you down on the mat and you come from underneath and gain control of your opponent (2PT), or when your opponent commits an illegal action such as stalling or an illegal hold. At the end of 3 rounds and no pin, Villicana had more points, winning the match.

    Closing out the night was David Cortez, a sophomore who competed in the heavyweight class. Using your weight to your advantage in wrestling is a key factor to pinning your opponent because you can easily weigh your opponent down. Cortez won that night by pin and even though he won the match he states he was, “impatient,” and, “nervous.”

    Altogether, Poly varsity boys won the night and hope to do the same in the upcoming matches, meets, and tournaments upcoming this spring semester.

  • Poly V. Westchester

    On Friday, November 30 at Westchester High School.They began their season off with winning 2nd in the Westchester tournament One of the starting five, Malik Salahuddin, does an amazing job in the Westchester tournament. His progress this year has been consistent, managing an average of 15 or more points a game so far. Malik thanks, “the team [and] without this great team…. I wouldn’t be as great as I am today.”  

    This tournament was a gateway for opportunity and success for the seniors, as they continue their basketball careers in college or travel ball. The Westchester tournament, Peyton Watson and Malik Salahuddin had offensive and defensive plays. They dominated their drive-ins and made effective passes in the game.

    The ball movement was sufficient for the win of the games; although they did not win semi-finals, the team did not let that get them down. They struggled, playing against them. The other team had more dominance in offense against the Jackrabbit’s defense. If the defense was more intact, the plays from the other team would have not been as successful.

    As the boys continued the start of their season with their first game against Cabrillo in the Bosco tournament. The game was a blow-out. The Jackrabbits won by 48 points; 108-60. Giordan Williams amazingly, came down with a slam dunk during the second court and crowd was wild. He has played with confidence, and has received 5 offers from Cal State Long Beach, Boston University, UCLA, and etc.

    As a team captain, along with  Justin Rene, he continues to motivate the team and uplift their energy throughout every game. Justin Rene says, “hard work makes better teamwork.” The team will continue the Bosco Tournament onto the semi-finals and championships at Bosco.

     

  • Girls Basketball

    The girls varsity basketball team had a rough start as they ended their Tournament at Troy High School winning 0 games, but they came back into Moore League blowing out the Cabrillo Jaguars with a win of . Their five came into the game with low energy first quarter but, by second quarter the score was 0 to 39.

    The girls dominated their offensive plays hitting continuous threes and jumpers. Coach Buggs says, “The most improved on the team as far as the veterans who have been on the team is Menah Salaveo.” Their “five,” Menah Salaveo, successfully conquered the paint making 10 points on offense along. In the game they were consistent in always having great assists and great communication on offense.

    As far as defense, our girls were able to play man-to-man defense without having the visitors penetrate. Iyanna Lamb, especially, drove into the passing lanes and turned the ball over to the Jackrabbits. Deja Williams explained that this game “proved that no matter how rough the season may begins, we always find a way to get a comeback.”

    There has been a lot of hate for Girls Varsity because they have not had the most successful start, but there is still more to come for this season. Deja WIlliams (senior) has committed to Cal State Northridge on a D1 Scholarship.

    The next game for the girls is versus Compton at Compton High School on December 14th. Then, they will be entering a tournament in Arizona from the 18th through the 22nd in the Nike Tournament of Championships. There they will be facing teams from all around the country, playing 4 four games. During the winter break they will also be playing in the SoCal Holiday Classic right after Christmas.

     

  • “We Made A Mistake But It’s All Good!”

    On Saturday, December 8 both the song and cheer teams qualified for nationals at University high school in Irvine. Which was an amazing and huge thing for both the teams.

    Unfortunately, more than four people on the song team made the mistake of doing illegal skills and each time they did them it costed them a point. The deductions they recieved from those stunts caused them to lose a place in nationals. The illegal stunt that the team did was a second leap and they did them in ripples, which made them win 5th place.

    Although the team was kind of disappointed they were mostly happy that they qualified. Member of both the cheer and song team, Jayden Nem said “At least we qualified for nationals and that’s all that really mattered.”

     

  • Girls Soccer

    This season Long Beach Poly’s girls varsity soccer team has started off the season very well. The girls have won the first four games of Moore League competition, first beating Compton 15-0, then Lakewood 4-2, then Downey 2-1, and lastly Jordan 9-0, almost finishing off the first round of Moore League undefeated. A few players such as sisters: Allanah and Aniah Cutler have returned from not playing last year to helping the team be unstoppable this year. The team’s next game is Tuesday December 18 against Wilson High School, the game is expected to be a very challenging since both team will play with their best skills and team players. Wilson tied their last game to Mayfair High School on December 13. Junior Aniah Cutler mentioned that she is “super pumped to compete against Wilson next week and play some of the most intense soccer this season!” The Lady Jackrabbits varsity girls soccer will face off against the Bruins at 6:30 p.m at Wilson High School, December 18.

  • People’s Champ William Frankenfeld

    CIF-Southern Sectional Championships took place on November 17th. Our very own CIC senior, Will Frankenfeld took first place and third in CIF State Championships on November 24th, just seconds away from first. Will also took another victory at the Foot Locker Cross Country West Regionals, placing second.

    “I’m not gonna lie, I was a little disappointed that I finished third in state and I finished first in the Southern Section, which is the fastest section. So I should’ve got first in state, so of course I’m a little disappointed,” said Frankenfeld on his thoughts about the race.

    “I do feel a certain pressures to do well, since I have done so well in the past,” said Frankenfeld on the expectations he feels from others.

    “I plan to continue running in college, maybe for UCLA or Cal State Fullerton,” said Frankenfeld on his future aspirations on running.

    Will Frankenfeld came 14th overall in the nation, third in State, and California’s top runner.

  • Senior Wrestler Andres De Los Santos

    Andres De Los Santos has been a part of Poly’s wrestling team since his freshman year and has devoted his more and more of his time into the sport each year. Now in the middle of his senior year, De Los Santos has accumulated numerous awards and levels and has a 17-2 record. “I don’t have a real reason why I started wrestling, I just started, it was cool, still is.” he said when asked why he chose the sport.

    De Los Santos feels as if the sport has taught him many important life lessons that he could not have learned elsewhere, “I’ve learned a lot in leadership, confidence, trust, being able to do things that  I didn’t think I was able to do.” he explains his battle with low self esteem and his personal growth into a man of confidence.

    The wrestling team prides itself as being a strong family-like bond. De Los Santos agrees, seeing as the sport calls for their closeness, “It’s a bit of a personal sport as well as a team effort. Although you are fighting for your team, at the end of the day, it’s all you. If you do something wrong in a match, it’s on you, not on your team.” he and his team members feed off each other’s mistakes and encouragement.

    When asked about what he will miss most about high school wrestling, he answer was simple, practice. “I like practice because it’s fun. It’s pretty much the only reason I come to school. And the coaches, I like them a lot. “ said De Los Santos.

    Being a part of a sport comes with a lot of stress, “There are times where you wanna give up and want to quit, but if you keep grinding, it gets easier. You get better, stronger, it pays off in the long road. “

    Through all the hardships, De Los Santos is never shy to express his gratitude for his team, “I’m proud of my team, and those who have been with me all 4 years. It’s been very tough, I don’t know how I haven’t quit, but I’m glad I haven’t. I’ve had some pretty memorable years.”

    Although his future isn’t completely set in stone, there may be a place for wrestling in his post high school life, “I’m going to college for sure, but wrestling in college, I’m not sure. I’m a bit hesitant because it’s a whole different ball game.”

    At times, he questions whether or not all the work is worth it,“It’s pretty normal for every sport, there’s time when I wonder why I’m doing this, I’m a senior, I could be home already, I could be doing stuff! My love for the sport keeps increasing, so that’s why I can’t quit.” De Los Santos continues to work hard and enjoy his senior year.

  • Lady Jackrabbits Humble L

    “We might of lost but that was one of the best games and some of the best competition I’ve ever played,” Allanah Cutler said after the close CIF game on October 25th.

    Poly Girls volleyball lost to Mater Dei in a close three sets: 25-18, 25-23, 25-22.

    Captains Allanah Cutler and Liz Schuster knew that their team needed to give it their all to beat the top ranked team in CIF and the number 2 ranked team in the nation.

    Each set was extremely close and every point was well deserved. The Ron Palmer Pavillion was packed with tons of Poly fans and athletes cheering for them to go to Division 1 CIF finals.

    During the first round of CIF on October 18, Poly was favored to lose but this athletic and talented team swept Mira Costa in three sets: 25-20, 25-20, 25-18.

    You could see the fire in the Lady Jackrabbits during both of these matches. Junior Aniah Cutler said “I loved the unification and team love,” after beating Mira Costa.

    The defense and serve receive led by senior libero Sofia Skukan was spectacular. The crowd could feel the front and back rows giving it their all.

    This talented Poly team is not done yet. They qualified for  the Division 1 State t\Tournament beginning the first week of November.

  • XC Impresses at Mt. SAC

    On October 20, both boys and girls cross country teams competed in the famous Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational.

    The annual meet at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, CA features many of the best teams from California and around the country. The course is three miles with several loops around a central area, accompanied by several steep inclines and sharp down hills testing the runners hill skills.

    Because of the quality of the competition, the race is one of the few races looked at by college cross country scouts to really see how good a runner is.

    Starting off with the boys varsity, Poly placed third overall in their division with their number one runner, senior Will Frankenfeld, also placing 3rd in a finish time of 14:47.

    Girls varsity also performed well with an 8th place finish altogether with their premiere runner, Laura Yontz, placing 21st and finishing with a phenomenal 20:48.

    Boys and girls junior varsity also raced above the standard placing 3rd overall with runners, Coco Sanabria with an astounding  21:21 and Ethan Dwinell running 16:12. Moving along, boys sophomores placed 10th with the lead runner Pablo Lopez-Garcia running 18:54. Girls sophomores played conservative as Moore League Finals is just around the corner, running only two athletes, Vanessa Garcia running a 25:15 and Chloe Bricker with a 25:43.

    The freshmen boys placed 9th in their heat with Joshua Zuniga leading the pack in 18:04. Freshmen girls came in 6th with Bella Ungar racing a 22:40.

    Both boys and girls will compete next at Moore League Finals, the threshold for Poly’s cross country team to qualify for the state competition.

    Concerning this meet, Danny Nguyen a sophomore cross country athlete said, “Moore League finals is the time where everything is on the line. Where you’ll see the most personal records and improvements stemming from all the hard work we’ve done.”

    New runner Kellan Lim added, “After Moore League 2 with all the hills, I’m just about ready to run on flat ground with the subtle incline and declines Heartwell holds. I have great confidence that we can take over the stage and win this final Moore League race.”

    The Moore League Cross Country Finals takes place at Heartwell Park on October 31, with junior varsity starting at 2:30, frosh/soph at 3:30PM, and varsity at 4:30.

  • Senior Katherine Grubbs

    Senior Katherine Grubbs

    Katherine Grubbs is on the Girls Varsity Golf team. Grubbs joined the golf team in her freshman year because she played golf with her dad as a little girl.

    Grubbs quit volleyball and joined golf. She struggled in her junior year, and had to relearn how to swing due to the fact she did not play league for two years.

    But last season was her  most successful season. Grubbs qualified for Moore League finals and made 8th place.

    Grubbs is extremely proud of her teammate, senior Azraa Adamjee. Grubbs said that Adamjee was courageous becase she “did awesome because she had an injury, but still helped out the team and coached the new freshmen on the sidelines of their games.”

    Grubbs said that her dad  was supportive of her quitting volleyball to join golf and has been to every single one of her matches.

    Grubbs  practices  five days a week, but  she still maintains a healthy relationship with her friends. Grubbs said she also  does  babysitting, she does a lot of traveling and she works in the Care  Center during 4th period.

  • Senior Tajahnai Clemons

    Senior Tajahnai Clemons

    Tajahnai Clemons, a senior at Poly, says that at her first initial thought was to join the golf team to avoid taking PE, but after playing for a while she found herself enjoying the sport. Clemons’ season ended in mid-October and she said, “Compared to last year, I’ve improved a lot. But I feel like I could have done a lot better if I practiced more and stayed with my personal coach.”

    Clemons came to love golf so much that she is even thinnking about pursuing it in college.

    Clemons says that her dream is to go to college and major in business.

    Clemens major support system is her family. They are supportive of her choice to join golf and they all go to her games to cheer her on.  She said they help her with a lot of things, from practicing her swings to helping her with her studies.

    Even though she’s busy being a student athlete, she still has time to do all the things that she enjoys such as reading, singing and watching movies on Netflix.

  • Senior Captain Christian Corrales

    Senior Captain Christian Corrales

    Senior and JV captain Christian Corrales has spent his life playing all kinds of sports before finally settling on Water Polo, “I wanted to try something new. My freshman year I was in wrestling.”

    Every sport and activity Corrales played, has helped him grow as a person in many different ways. “Water polo has really helped me socialize more with people, manage my time better, and challenge myself.”

    One big Challenge he has had to face this year was becoming JV captain, and although he has no intentions of playing after high school, Corrales encourages any underclassmen to at least give the sport a try. But it shouldn’t be taken lightly: “Water polo is a hard sport and there will be many challenges, but as long as you work hard and never quit, you’ll get through it.”

    Although Water Polo is a big part of Corrales’ life, it isn’t the only thing he enjoys. “I’m an outdoor person, so I like biking, hiking, and pretty much just going outside and hangout with friends.”